Soccer Ball Fiasco
by xlyphiechanx
Summary: She was hit in the head with a soccer ball...and who knew that her whole world would be flipped upside down? / [Naruto x Sakura] [Sasuke x Sakura]
1. Chapter 1: Falling

Sakura Haruno was simply engrossed in her newest novel, far too busy to focus on any of her surroundings.

She decided that this morning she would change up her usual routine of sitting in a fort of blankets in her dim apartment building and reading the pile of books that sit on her bedside table until her boss called and she was forced to head back to work or else her salary would be cut.

So, the pinkette woke up this morning, made herself some half burnt half brown toast, slapped some cream cheese on the little sucker, popped it in her mouth, threw her hair into a messy bun up do, and headed to claim a bench at her local park.

"No, no don't do it! He's not the who you think he is!" Sakura speaks to herself, yelling at the character in her book. She furrows her brows as she stares intently at the page in her book and analysis just why the character would act that way.

Two high school girls walking by give her an odd look, one that Sakura doesn't even notice since her eyes have been glued to the book ever since she'd arrived at the park.

Just as she's about to get to the good part and the climax of the plot, she hears someone scream so loud that it breaks through her "too focused to my book to notice anything" barrier.

She looks up and sees a blonde haired man, quite handsome if she may add to that, flailing his arms and screaming for her to duck.

"You want me to become a duck?" She yells, squinting at him and trying to figure out just how one becomes a duck.

Perhaps if she had morphing abilities just like the supernatural beings in the book she read a few weeks ago she'd be able "to duck" but shouldn't this grown man know that that's just a made up story?

No one can simply become a duck, duh.

"WOMAN WATCH OUT!" He screams yet again, snapping Sakura out of her thoughts and it's as if everything that happens next is in slow motion for the rose haired target.

A large something knocks her right on the side of her head causing her book to fly out of her hands as she tumbles off of the bench and her head meets the hard concrete of the side walk.

Lying on the cold sidewalk, Sakura is too stunned to process what had just happened.

"Hey, are you alright?" The blonde haired man asks, his voice filled with worry as he bends down and nudges the pinkette's shoulder.

Sakura swallows hard, nodding her head slowly not yet sure herself if she's all right.

"Maybe we should call an ambulance, you're not bleeding anywhere are you?" He asks his words flying out as panic takes over him.

"N-No I'm fine, no need for an ambulance." Sakura says, pushing herself off of the cold concrete. The last thing she would need today is to call her boss saying she'll be late for work because she's at the hospital.

She shudders at the thought.

Her boss would have a fit.

The immediate pain shoots through the sore spot on her head and she clutches it, wincing in pain.

"It hurts, shoot I'm so sorry about that I didn't think it'd hit you." He apologizes, and Sakura notes the sincere look in his very blue eyes.

Taken aback by the blueness of his eyes she can't help but admit that he has the most gorgeous eyes she's ever seen.

"_You_ did that?" She asks, bewildered that a grown man is out here in mid morning playing…

She notices a soccer ball rolling around.

Soccer?!

"Yeah…" He admits sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"You should have warned me or something!" Sakura yells, furious that now she could have a concussion or worse internal bleeding in her head because of this idiot's poor aim.

The blonde looks taken aback by her words that he'd been accused of not warning her.

"I did, I told you to duck!" He defends himself, raising a brow at the rosette as her jaw hangs open.

"I thought you wanted…uhh never mind." _I'll sound crazy if I admit that I actually thought he wanted me to morph into a duck._

"Come on, I have some ice packs over by the soccer field. It'll help you with that head ache." He says, standing up and ironing out his athletic shorts before extending a hand to me.

Feeling anxious about going with this random stranger Sakura nervously extends her hand in which the stranger pulls her up and onto her feet a tad too fast.

Her head throbs at the sudden movement and her feet feel wobbly. She notices a few scrapes on her knees and mentally curses the blonde.

"I'm kind of injured here, don't just pull me up like I'm a sack of potatoes!" She yells, frustrated as he laughs at her.

"Man you really are something." He says light heartedly, walking over and picking up the book she'd been reading a few minutes ago.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" She asks, folding her arms over her chest and giving him a pointed glare.

Not only did he have the nerve to hit her with a soccer ball, something so childish she can't even believe this man is most likely around her age, he also has the nerve to mock her!

_What an idiot._

She thinks to herself as she watches him pick up her book and toss it to her.

Sakura grabs it as if it's the most precious thing in her life and hugs it close to her chest.

"It means I've never really met someone like you. Take it as a compliment pinky, now come on let's get you that ice pack."

He takes Sakura's hand before she can respond, and drags her to the soccer field laughing as she complains that her head hurts and she's really not afraid to smack him with her book.

And then something dawns on Sakura.

"WHO ARE YOU TO CALL ME PINKY?!"

She definitely should have stayed in her blanket fort at least there she was comfy _and_ safe from blonde idiots chucking soccer balls at her head.

xXx

Sitting on the sun bathed grass, Sakura watches with bored eyes as this blonde haired stranger plays soccer with a ton of little kids.

_Is he their coach or does he just do this for fun?_

She wonders, picking at some grass.

"Yo, Pinky." He says cheerfully, running over to her as all of the kids take a water break.

An anime vein pops at the top of Sakura's forehead as she death glares the blonde.

"Call me that one more time…" She growls clenching her fists as fire radiates around her.

The blonde smirks smugly at her.

"Or what? You'll morph into a duck?" He teases her, and Sakura pales at his words.

_He heard that?_

Flustered by his response, the rosette's cheeks turn the color of her hair.

Who was this guy? First he acts all sweet and concerned and then he's mocking her!

"S-Shut up!" She counters childishly, staring at the grass as she tries to calm her flaming cheeks.

_This is so embarrassing._

He bursts out in laughter and Sakura huffs out a breath of annoyance.

"How's your head feeling?" He asks, biting back the giggles as he points to her swelling head.

"Cold." She replies, still upset over his mocking behavior.

The blonde nods.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Eh?" Sakura responds, tilting her head at him.

"That's my name, now you might want to give me yours unless you like me calling you Pinky." He says smirking as the rosette shoots him a pointed glare.

"Sakura Haruno." She states formally.

Naruto's lips curve up into a bright toothy grin that causes Sakura's heart to stutter a tiny bit.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Sakura-chan, let's be friends!" He says enthusiastically, holding out his hand.

Sakura's cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

"What are you five?" She retorts, rolling her eyes as he laughs.

The rosette grips his hand, and he shakes it firmly.

What was she getting herself into?

* * *

_AN: Here I am back with a new story! I actually wasn't even planning on writing a new narusaku story (since I have so many stories I need to finish...) but this morning I was inspired by browsing through narusaku fan art on tumblr and so this was born._

_Hopefully you guys will enjoy this short first chapter!_

_Please leave a review on what you think of it!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	2. Chapter 2: Two Heads Two Bumps

Running as fast as her feet can take her, the rosette completely ignores the roaring headache that still lingers even after icing it for half an hour while conversing with the blonde who she blames heavily on the fact that she's now late for work.

"Watch where you're going!" Someone yells as she accidentally rams her shoulder forcefully into them.

Mumbling a "sorry" as she tries to munch on her granola bar she glides past the walking pedestrians before making it to her destination.

_**Child's Pediatricians Office**_

The sign on the door read as the rosette flings them open with a forceful hip push.

"HARUNO!" A stern voice snaps, halting Sakura in her rapid steps. Her body freezes immediately, like a kid being caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar, and she turns her head ever so slowly to greet the one person she wished she could slip by.

Her boss.

A tall woman with a fiery attitude who seems to find sake a tad too enjoyable on weekend "meetings" at the bar between the hospital staff.

"How many times this week have I told you NOT to be late?" She scolds; placing a hand on her hip and blowing away a few stray locks of blonde hair that have fallen on her face.

Sakura cowers.

"I'm sorry Tsunade, erm, boss, but you see I was at the park and-"

"I don't even want to hear it, just put on your uniform and get to work. You have patients waiting for you!" She yells, clapping her hands to encourage Sakura to get a move on.

Sakura lets out a small "yes m'am" before rushing through the waiting room doors where the parents and children seated watch with wide eyes as the pinkette passes in a flurry.

She flings open the door to the break room, ready to go retrieve her uniform, when she sees that it's ripped to shreds. The white cotton of the uniform is laying in pieces by the foot of the coat hanger.

Bawling her hands into fist the rosette storms out of the room.

There is only one person to blame for this.

Flinging the door open to where her dog obsessed co-worker is currently helping a young girl, most likely at the age of five or six, Sakura collects her anger towards the dog lover and fixes a sweet smile that spreads across her pink lips.

"Kiba may I speak with you for a second?" She asks sweetly, gritting her teeth as she does so.

"Can it wait-"

"Kiba. Out. Now." She spits harshly through clenched teeth and a fake smile on her lips.

"I'll be right back." He says to the mother and the young girl who stares at Sakura with wide eyes.

"She's scary, I feel bad for the doctor." The young girl whispers to her mother, staring at Sakura with widened eyes, before Sakura closes the door.

"Sakura what's so important that you had to interrupt me right in the middle of one of my appointments?" He asks rather annoyed by the way he sighs loudly and folds his arms over his chest.

"You know exactly what's so important! You're stupid dog-"

"Akamaru is not stupid!"

"-Tore my uniform to shreds! I paid good money for that thing. Keep that mutt in your car next time, I don't even know why you have to bring it to work." She huffs, glaring angrily at Kiba.

"You didn't pay a cent for that thing, we all get it for free." He states with a blank expression as the rosette bites back a bitter comment.

"And the children love Akamaru, some of the patients use him as a cure for anxiety you know." He states, a proud gleam in his eyes.

Sakura rolls her eyes.

"That's besides the point, I now don't have a uniform!" She fumes angrily, poking her finger at the doctor's chest and glaring deathly into his eyes.

He swallows hard, feeling intimidated by the proximity of their faces and the killer look in her eyes.

"S-Sakura…" He starts, not sure of what to say.

"Give me the keys to the lounge, I'll go grab another coat myself."

Kiba quickly reaches into his pockets and pulls out the key, handing it to Sakura who snatches it out of his grasp. She pushes herself away from him and turns around, ready to round the corner but before she makes her depart she gives Kiba one last glare.

"Don't make this a habit."

"Y-Yes m'am!" He salutes, intimidated by her cold tone of voice.

And man, those killer emerald eyes.

Kiba shudders just before walking in and continuing his appointment.

xXx

"Just rest easy and take the medications I've prescribed and you will be good as new in no time! Okay sweetie?" Sakura says sweetly, patting the child on the head as she chirps a happy "okay!"

She turns her attention to the mother seated by the door in a navy blue cushioned chair.

"Just make sure she takes this twice a day until the bottle is empty. If you have any problems give the office a call, but this medication is bound to get her fever down."

The mother nods, slipping small thank you to Sakura who only smiles.

"Feel better okay?" Sakura says to the little girl, a warm smile spreading across her lips.

"Okay!" She chirps happily, hopping off of the bed and rushing to her mother's side.

As they depart, with a sticker and a lollipop of course, Sakura leans against the doorframe and checks her watch.

_6 pm._

Tsunade had forced her to work overtime because of her tardiness, but now it was time for the rosette to grab her things and head home.

Not to mention she's been dying to lie down in her comfy bed and get out of her gross work clothes. Perhaps ice her head a bit more since it still hurt to the touch and ached a little.

Sighing, she heads to the break room where she strips of her uniform, throws on the sweatshirt she was wearing this morning, which has dirt stains from where she fell.

The rosette still can't get over the fact that some handsome idiot hit her with a soccer ball this morning.

Too bad he wasn't ugly, she would have slapped that stupid grin right of his face.

But, she must admit, there was something about him that caused Sakura to want to know…more.

He had a friendly aura to him, and seemed to get along with children well, something they both had in common.

_Whatever it's not like I'll see him again._

"Goodnight Sakura, see you tomorrow morning. Don't be late!" The nice lady at the front desk teases, and Sakura rolls her eyes smiling as she bids her a goodbye.

"I'll try, I'll try. Night."

And with that she walks out of the office, onto the busy street and on her way home.

Walking through the street, she decides to busy herself with the novel she was getting through this morning and so she pulls it out of her peach colored purse and flips open to the page she was on.

Just like always, the rosette is completely engrossed in the book, not even bothering to watch where she's going.

Sighing as she reads the kissing scene, an unsettling feeling forms at the pit of her stomach.

She'd always dreamed of finding true love, and ever since she was a young girl she had wished for that perfect wedding, to find that knight in shining armor, to find her prince charming.

But, as she grew older she realized that well reality sucked. Sure, she tried dating a few boys back in high school but that was just…well high school. No relationship really struck her as the boy being _the one._

And now, being a twenty two year old woman, she still hasn't found anyone that can cause her heart to flip, or her legs to turn shaky.

"HEY WATCH OUT!" Someone yells, for the second time that day, and the rosette looks up from her book to see a car speeding her way as she is standing in the middle of the road.

.

.

.

"Eh?" She stutters, confused as to how the hell she wound up in the middle of the road.

As the speeding car, which seems to have no intention of slowing down, races towards her it's as if Sakura's legs have turned to jello and she's unable to move as much as her mind is telling her to get the hell out of there.

She shuts her eyes, cowering like a fool, and waits for the impact that never comes.

Instead, something hits the side of her head causing her to stumble out of the way just as the car zooms past her.

It misses her by just an inch.

Panting fast and feeling the rush of adrenaline course through her body she shakily picks herself up from the concrete and irons out her khaki's, which are now dusted in grey.

Looking down at her feet she notices a soccer ball rolling by her.

"You really have to learn to be more careful." A familiar voice says, picking up the soccer ball.

Sakura's eyes trail from the soccer ball to the man's face where her emerald eyes widen.

"Nice seeing you again Sakura, although not the best circumstance." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck as a smile forms on his lips.

"Did you throw that soccer ball at me?" She asks, annoyance making itself clear in her raised voice.

Naruto shoots her a fake hurt expression.

"And to think this very thing saved your life and now you're mad that I chucked it at you? That hurts Sakura." He fake cries, wiping at his eyes.

Sakura shoots him a bored glare.

"Well, thank you but seriously couldn't have you just pushed me aside or something?" She asks, and they both fall into a comfortable walking pace.

Naruto squints his eyes and points at her book.

"You read to many of those, not everything happens like it does in stories." He states matter of factly, tossing the ball up in the air as they walk and catching it every time.

"Do you coach soccer to those little kids?" She asks, tucking her book back in her bag and watching Naruto's eyes flicker with a hint of sadness at the mention of coaching.

"Yeah, I'm their coach." He states proudly, throwing the soccer ball up once more.

"I'm a pediatrician, I work in the office next to that really good sushi place." She comments, and Naruto's eyes light up at the mention of Sushi.

"You should try their ramen, it's the best in town!" He says enthusiastically.

Sakura can't help but laugh at the smile on his face and the joy simple ramen gives him.

Stopping at a light she realizes that she has to take a left in order to make it to her apartment complex.

"Well, looks like this is where we part ways." She says, feeling a sense of sadness tugging at her heartstrings.

Why? She can't really answer that question herself.

"I'll walk you home." He states simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, that's okay." She says, shaking her head.

"Nope, I'm walking you home besides who knows if you'll pull that book out again? You might actually become a duck or road kill whichever is on your menu for the night." He jokes, earning a cold glare from the rosette, who folds her arms over her chest.

"Fine, but just this once."

Why does she get the feeling that this won't be the last time he'll walk her home?

xXx

Reaching her apartment, Sakura is teary eyed and laughing hysterically at the blonde haired male who had just made an utter fool out of himself.

"Sakura-chan stop laughing it's not even that funny!" He pouts, folding his arms over his chest as he rubs the top of his head, which is beginning to swell immensely.

Sakura doubles over, laughter roaring out of her like never before.

Naruto's cheeks light up, glowing in colors of red.

"Sakura-chan…" He whines, feeling like a complete idiot.

"I'm sorry…phsshskfphphp…I'll get it together." She says, sucking in a deep breath to reduce the laughter bubbling up inside of her.

Her lips curve up into a smile when she looks at his face and the bump on his head, and soon enough she's fallen into another round of laughter.

Naruto groans dramatically.

"Yeah, yeah it's hilarious. I get it, I get it." He says embarrassed by his actions, but as he watches the rosette laugh he can't help but feel a smile tug on his own lips.

A warm feeling swells in his chest, and right then and there he concludes that her laughter is the single greatest sound he's ever heard.

And the way her smile lights up her whole face, well Naruto can't lie she's strikingly beautiful.

Finally calming down and beginning to feel a cramp edging its way into her stomach, Sakura wipes the tears around the corners of her eyes and grabs the keys in her bag.

"Well, thank you for walking me home and showing me your 'impressive' soccer skills." She thanks him, biting back round 3 of the laughter that's itching to spill from her mouth.

Naruto's cheeks turn a small shade of red before he smiles brightly.

"Anytime Sakura-chan!" He says happily before wincing. He rubs the sore spot on his head and chuckles sheepishly.

"Here, why don't you come in I have some ice in the freezer." She suggests, finding it odd that she's even bothering inviting him in her home.

Usually, Sakura is a very reclusive woman not necessarily allowing just anyone into her home. But, for some reason with him it's like she knows that nothing will go wrong.

He's just too innocent and simple minded to do anything that would scare her, and she trusts him.

Quite possibly from the minute she stared into his striking blue eyes.

"Are you sure that's okay? I mean I'm probably just going to be intruding…" He trails shyly, and Sakura shakes her head.

"Nonsense, we both got bumps on our heads injured people help other injured people. Besides, I owe you for saving my life and walking me home."

"You're really trusting someone you met for only a day? That's quite bold of you." He states, tilting his head as the rosette shoots a quirky smile his way before unlocking the apartment door.

"You haven't given me a reason not to trust you yet." She says before stepping inside.

Naruto smirks at that, liking the independent flare to her and follows her inside, the door shutting behind him.

"I'll go grab the ice, make yourself at home." She says, kicking off her shoes and flinging her keys in the small bowl just by the door.

Feeling her palms getting sweaty as she opens the fridge she wonders just what in her messed up head ever gave her the heads up that inviting a stranger into her home was a good idea?

Sure, she acted all confident around him but to be completely honest she hadn't had a boy over her house since she's moved in.

Sighing at the predicament at hand, Sakura grabs the ice pack and wraps it up in a paper towel.

She walks over to the blonde who is standing in the small living room staring intently at a photo, scrutinizing it with squinted eyes.

"This your boyfriend or something?" He asks, pointing to the framed picture.

Sakura slams the ice pack on top of his head hard, causing him to flinch and scream out an "ow" as he grabs his head.

"That's none of your business." She states, walking over to the fridge once more to grab another ice pack for herself.

"Ex boyfriend then?" He asks sheepishly, raising his brows as the rosette pays no attention to him but rather wraps the ice pack in a towel.

_Funny joke!_ Sakura thinks to herself.

"Think whatever you want." She retorts, shutting the fridge and heading over to the living room where she slumps down on the couch, letting go of a long breath.

Naruto watches her closely, still trying to decipher who the mysterious man in the photo is, but since she's clearly not interested in speaking about him he decides to drop the topic and take a seat on the one person cushioned chair.

He slumps right in and his muscles relax immediately.

"Man it feels so good to be home." She says happily, stretching her tired limbs before grabbing the blanket draped over the couch and blanketing herself.

"Tell me about it." Naruto jokes sarcastically, earning an eye roll from Sakura.

They fall into a comfortable silence; both finding it quite odd that they're mere strangers yet can fall into such a casual and comfortable conversation like they'd known each other their whole life.

Sakura had never meat someone who she could act herself around.

"Tell me Sakura, why did you invite me in today? Do you invite strangers into your house often?" He asks, and Sakura's cheeks tint pink, as she understands just what he's asking underneath the innocent words.

"N-No of course not! I'm actually quite an isolated person." She answers honestly, earning a quirked eyebrow from the whiskered blonde.

Feeling her cheeks heat as he stares at her with a questioning glare, Sakura tugs on the blanket hoping that it will hide her from those shining blue eyes.

"Then, what makes me different? Why did you invite me in?" He asks, leaning his elbow on the arm of the cushioned chair and leans his head on his palm staring at the rosette with an amused look in his eye.

Why did she let him in? Normally if someone offered to walk her home, even her close friends at work, she'd usually bid them goodbye at the door and not have any second thoughts about it.

Perhaps it was because she owed him for well _saving her life_, and helping her out at the soccer field.

Yeah, that was it.

"I owe you one and seeing as I had ice packs I figured it'd be the nice thing to do." She answers him, and by the smile that tugs on his face she knows that he's satisfied with her answer.

Tipping his head so that the ice pack slides off and falls into his palm, he stands up and sets it on the coffee table.

"You're a nice person Sakura-chan." He says, shoving his hands in his pocket as he moves towards the door and slips on his sneakers. He stands up and makes direct eye contact with Sakura who is wrapped up in her peach colored blanket.

"Don't let someone take advantage of that." He says huskily, causing a shiver to run down the rosette's spine.

And just as she sees a glint of something cross his eyes it's gone and he has returned to the cheery Naruto she'd met just this morning.

"Goodnight, and thanks for the ice!"

And with that the blonde opens the door to her flat, and disappears into the chilly evening.

"Night." She replies, as the door slams shut.

A warm feeling settles in her chest, and she's unsure of how to pin point just what it is.

His words still ring in her ears and she wonders what made him say that.

Is there an abusive relationship written in her future or something?

Shaking her head at her ridiculous thoughts, she unwraps herself from the blanket and heads over to the kitchen to dispose of the now melting ice packs.

Tossing them in the freezer, her body jolts at the sudden buzzing of her cellphone on the coffee table.

"Who could that be?" She murmurs to herself, walking over and grabbing the phone.

When she checks the caller I.D. a confused expression glazes over her features.

"Hello?"

"_Hi Sakura,"_

_That voice._

Her heart tightens in her chest and her mind whirls in her head.

"_It's Sasuke Uchiha, from high school remember?"_

Sakura nods her head furiously, and then realizes he's not in the room.

"O-Of course I remember Sasuke-kun!"

"_Good, because I need your help."_

* * *

_AN: This chapter is quite long...hehe I feel really inspired with this story! I hope you guys like where it's going so far, and hmmm what does Sasuke need help with...I wonder...(;_

_Nope not going to be a SASUSAKU fic this is PRO NARUSAKU so even if I do throw in some hints of it, it will NOT be the ending pairing._

_/THIS IS A NARUSAKU FIC/ narusaku haters please don't read this!_

_Leave a review please, I would LOVE to hear what you think of the story so far!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	3. Chapter 3:Old Crush

Clicking the phone off after a very long and overdue conversation with her high school crush, Sakura's mouth feels dry and her heart is racing.

What Sasuke had just told her caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

She couldn't even believe that he'd told her of all people.

In high school they rarely talked besides the occasional "What did you get for this question."

Sakura gets up from her position on the couch and walks over to the picture frame Naruto was looking at.

It was a picture of her, with an arm looped around a very annoyed Uchiha.

It was taken on their graduation day and she clearly remembered she had made it a goal to get a picture with him since it'd be the last time she'd ever see him.

She smiles at how foolish she was to literally jump on the Uchiha and have her friend snap the picture.

Walking over to the kitchen she grabs a glass and fills it up with water. She drinks the whole contents of it, her throat feeling much better.

And then Sasuke's words come rushing into her mind and she holds back a scream of joy.

_Flashback_

"_M-My help?" Sakura asks, her eyes widening._

_Why would Sasuke need her help? Just what was going on?_

"_I need a place to stay. You live in Manhattan right?" _

"_Yes, how did you know?" She asks, fiddling with the edges of her blanket._

"_I asked one of your friends…Ino I think was her name?"_

_Sakura nods. Of course he would ask Ino, she was one of his fan girls since day one. And they did live close to each other so that also gave her the advantage of being better friends with him._

"_So, why live with me? We weren't really 'friends' in high school…" Sakura trails, her heart pumping so fast in her chest that she might just pass out._

_Sasuke chuckles softly, a chuckle that causes Sakura's stomach to do somersaults._

_And to think she thought she was over him after not seeing him for four years…boy was she wrong._

"_You were the first person who popped into my head, you were actually the only girl I liked in high school, the only one who didn't chase me around like some dog." He admits coolly and Sakura covers her mouth with her palm to refrain from screaming._

_Was this some kind of love confession?!_

_She forces a laugh, trying to act casual._

"_Right, people thought you were some kind of god back in high school." _

""_Yeah so, I have to interview a few people in Manhattan in a few days and I was wondering if I could crash at your place. And I'm not planning on wasting money on renting an apartment if there's someone willing to lend me a place to stay. It won't be long I promise. " He says, his voice smooth and to Sakura, sexy._

"_Sure, I don't see why not. When will you be coming?" She asks, practically jumping up and down on the couch._

"_Tomorrow night, possibly around 7." He says, and Sakura listens as the crumpling of sheets is heard in the background._

_Is he on his bed right now? Oh my goodness what if he's shirtless?!_

"_Okay, well I'll see you soon then." Sasuke says, after Sakura is too busy daydreaming about him being shirtless to respond._

"_Y-Yeah, bye and uh it was nice talking to you again Sasuke-kun." She says boldly, feeling her cheeks turn a thousand shades of red._

"_Ah, you too." He replies smoothly before clicking the end button._

_Sakura screams._

_xXx_

Waking up the next morning Sakura slams her fist on the alarm and groans heavily as she sits up.

Rolling off her bed she heads to the bathroom to wash up. Looking in the mirror she practically screams.

The bags under her eyes are horrendous; she looks like some monster that lives under a child's bed.

Her pink locks are sticking up in all kinds of directions, there's dried up drool on the side of her chin, and some fresh new acne have spotted her once crystal clear chin.

She blames it on the lack of sleep.

Last night she kept on twisting and turning in her sheets unable to get that fluttering feelings of excitement out of her chest.

Her high school _crush_ was coming to stay with her for a couple of days, maybe even more!

This has been her dream since who knows how long.

Taking in a deep breath Sakura begins her morning routine, shoving aside any thoughts of Sasuke that could slow her down.

xXx

"Sakura, looking good as always." Kiba comments, whistling as he does so.

Sakura whips her head around and shoots lasers at him.

"Leave her alone Kiba, she's not interested." A long brown haired male says calmly, grabbing a soda from the fridge and popping it open.

"Shut up Neji, you're just jealous you don't have the guts to pick up woman." The dog lover taunts, earning a bored stare from Neji.

"Think what you want." He replies coolly, bringing the soda can to his lip and taking a sip.

Sakura rolls her eyes at both of their behavior.

"Well, I'm heading out, my shift ended early!" She says happily, smiling to herself as she walks by Kiba and kicks him hard in the knee.

He stumbles, cursing as he does so.

"You try to hit on me one more time and this time it won't just be your knee that hurts." She threatens, a devilish aura radiating from her, as her eyes seem to pierce into his soul.

Kiba nods nervously, backing away as Neji erupts into laughter.

The door to the break room closes, Sakura leaving the office with a smirk of her own.

xXx

"Hey no pulling, it takes me forever to get my flow to look good." A familiar voice says loudly as Sakura steps into the small grocery store.

Looking before her she spots Naruto with a ton of his soccer kids tugging at his hair and throwing random items into the shopping cart.

"Guys, I can't possibly afford all of this." He says, laughing as one of them whispers something into his ear.

Sakura can't help but smile at the scene.

_He's a natural with kids, it's adorable._

She thinks to herself before grabbing a shopping cart of her own.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto says happily, picking a kid up and throwing him over his shoulders as the kid giggles furiously and walks over to her.

"Naruto, looks like you have yourself quite the fan club." She teases, pointing to all of the kids.

The kids all shy away from her, small blushes appearing on their faces.

"Sakura you're scaring them." Naruto whispers into her ear and her cheeks turn red.

"Am not!" She protests loudly, stomping her feet as she marches over to one of the isles.

The blonde watches her go snickering at her childish antics.

"Is she your girlfriend, Naruto?" The young boy on his shoulder asks, causing Naruto to turn a shade of red himself.

"W-What gave you t-that idea?!" He stutters, as all of the kids laugh around him.

"He liiiiiikes herrrr!" The kids all sing in unison, and Naruto tries his best to cover their mouths.

If Sakura hears this, his cheeks would actually melt off.

But, no avail.

"Guys let's all go to that ice cream place down the corner come on!" He says cheerfully, trying his best to change the topic.

The kids all forget about Sakura and cheer, throwing their hands up as they yell,

"ICECREAM!"

Naruto watches from the corner of his eyes as Sakura laughs at something, while her phone is pressed against her ear.

_I wonder who she's talking too?  
_

He thinks before he steps out of the grocery store.

* * *

_AN: Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter...it's a little shorter but I've actually already written seven chapter for this story xD So I've decided that I'll update every other day, something like that unless I hit a writer's block and/or I die or am sick._

_Or have a lot of hw...cause yanno school like's to do that._

_(REMEMBER END GAME HERE IS NARUSAKU SO DON'T FREAK OUT)_

_Please leave a review! They make me smilleeee (unless you be hating)_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	4. Chapter 4: Sick and Sexy

Whipping up her best meal of miso soup and stir-fried rice, Sakura plates the food and takes off her apron.

Rushing to check herself in the mirror one more time she nods satisfied with her look.

A casual jean button up, with khaki's and a colorful scarf.

The bright green scarf compliments her eyes well and she can't help but hope Sasuke-kun will like it.

_Ding Dong._

_He's here!_

Sakura thinks, panic slowly rising in her chest. Hundreds of thoughts flood her mind.

Will he like what she's wearing? What will he think of her home? Has he changed since high school?

Taking a deep breath and trying to clear her head, she heads for the door and opens it.

Her eyes widen at the sight before her.

"Hey, Sakura." Sasuke says coolly, smirking as he notices her eyes widen and a blush spread across her cheeks.

She never would have thought that Sasuke was able to get even more handsome, but dang did he prove her wrong.

First off, he was wearing a slick black tux that fit him so nicely Sakura just wanted to get her hands all over him and his pretty face. His hair was cut differently then how she remembered it. He had grown out his bangs, causing them to almost completely cover his left eye.

She had to admit, he looked _too_ good.

Shaking her head at her own thoughts, she puts on a polite, not too overly excited, smile and lets him in.

"It's nice to see you Sasuke-kun. Come on in, I just finished making dinner." She says, moving aside as Sasuke walks in bringing his bags along.

Sakura notices his dark eyes scrutinizing the place, before looking back at her.

"So where do I sleep?"

.

.

.

She completely forgot that her flat was only one bedroom! She can't possibly share the bed with him…well she wouldn't _mind_ but no…no she can't do that.

"Oh well uh…" She mumbles, unable to think of a good enough excuse.

"You can take the couch right Sakura?" He says, an odd smile forming on his lips before walking over to her bedroom and dropping his bags.

Sakura's eyes twitch at his attitude, but she lets it slide.

Well it'll only be for a couple of days…she supposes a small sacrifice like her bed won't be too bad.

Coming back out he takes a seat at the kitchen counter and looks over to her.

"You eating?" He asks, and Sakura snaps out of her daze rushing over to take a seat as well.

They both say grace before digging into their meal.

"So, tell me, what do you do for a living Sakura?" He asks, taking a sip of his miso soup.

"I'm a pediatrician at the local office here." She states proudly, while Sasuke seems to be bored with her answer.

"Really? I thought of you to be more of the book type. An author perhaps." He states, and Sakura looks down at her soup feeling as if she's disappointed him.

There was a cold flare to his voice, something that Sakura immediately noted she did not like.

It kind of felt like she was talking more to her father than her crush.

_He was so different on the phone…_

Sakura thinks to herself, but then shakes her head.

"And what do you do Sasuke-kun?" She asks politely, looking up at his face and unable to resist admiring him.

Seriously, how can someone just be so handsome?

"Well, nothing special really I run a business corporation and I have a few interviews to run by tomorrow for different branches of the corporation." He says a smirk forming on his lips, and by the looks of it he's expecting Sakura to pass out from awe.

But, she's unable to pinpoint just why owning a business corporation was a big deal…she wasn't really into things like that.

To be completely honest Sakura barely followed anything to do with social media and when she clicked on the T.V. it was only to watch a documentary on her favorite authors.

She denied admitting that she was a nerd.

They fall into a rather awkward silence, Sakura rummaging her mind for something to say but nothing comes to mind.

After finishing their meal, Sakura takes both of their plates and heads for the sink.

Washing the dishes she looks out of the corner of her eye and sees Sasuke staring intently at her.

Her heart quickens its pace.

"Is there anyone in your life Sakura? A boy perhaps?" He asks smoothly, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

Her minding flashes to the blonde she'd met just yesterday, but shakes the thought.

"N-No, nobody really." She replies.

"Good." He mutters under his breath, but Sakura catches it and her heart practically shoots out of her throat it's pumping so hard.

Does this mean he's interested in her!?

"I think I'm going to head to bed, goodnight Sakura. Oh and thanks for letting me stay." He says, before getting up and heading to the bedroom where he slams the door shut.

"Night." She mutters, throwing off the white gloves she does her dishes with and stalking over to the couch where she collapses.

She still couldn't get over the fact that her crush was here.

And quite frankly neither can her heart.

But, there was something about Sasuke, something eerie that she couldn't quite pinpoint. He was a polite gentlemen, she supposed something's never change, but the look in his eyes was grim and there was something dark inside of him, a gut feeling Sakura couldn't quite shake.

Laughing slightly as she remembers Naruto's words, she rolls off the couch and heads for the bathroom to get ready for the night.

Perhaps she does read too many of those books.

xXx

By the time she woke up, and realized that she was late for work, Sasuke was already gone.

Much to her surprise he had made the bed, cleaned up the dishes that he ate his breakfast in, and left a small note saying he has some business to attend to and will be back for dinner.

Sakura's heart raced as she realized that this was just what a married couple would do first thing in the morning.

"Maybe…maybe we will get married, one day!" She squeals happily as she races to the bathroom, jumping in the air and kicking her heels together.

It was going to be a good day for Sakura Haruno, she could feel it.

xXx

"This is the worst day ever." The blonde moans as he turns in his bed and dips his head towards the bucket placed on the floor, the contents of his dinner last night coming back up.

Man, he felt like complete crap.

Turns out he got food poisoning from last night's soccer ice cream fiesta. Instead of buying ice cream, which he totally should have done, he had decided to eat some waffles which he now guesses were completely stale.

How he hadn't noticed?

Well, he did dump a tad too much whip cream, disguising the taste of the stale waffles.

"I need to call in sick." He tells himself, forcing himself to sit up despite the fever that's causing his head to spin.

The minute his head lifts from the pillow a piercing headache settles in, and he curses those dang good waffles under his breath.

His stomach churns uncomfortably and before he vomits again, he grabs his cellphone and texts all of the parent's of the kids saying he's come down with a nasty stomachache.

Throwing the phone, a little too forcefully, onto the bedside table he turns his head towards the bucket and feels his insides peeling out of him.

Wiping his mouth with a towel, he decides that he needs to take some medicine before he vomits himself inside out.

Stripping of his now soaked shirt, he tosses it to the side and feels the sweat trickling down his whole entire body.

_This is disgusting._

He thinks to himself, wiping his forehead with his arm and grimacing at just how much sweat is pouring out of his body.

Standing up on shaky legs and feeling his stomach gurgle begging for round three of vomiting, Naruto rushes down the stairs to the kitchen and leans on the counter just above the sink.

Taking some deep breaths, he rummages through the medicine cabinet only to find that it's…well filled with ramen cups.

He completely forgot, but is grateful nonetheless, that he didn't find a need for medicine since he rarely got sick so he made it his secret ramen stash in case he was too lazy to go out and buy more.

"Man, how old is this stuff?" He murmurs, checking the expiration date and realizing it still has a few months. Shrugging he puts it back and shuts the cabinet.

Jolting slightly as the familiar ringtone of his phone blares through out his apartment, he groans realizing he has to walk back up the glass stairs to his bedroom loft.

Making sure he won't vomit and sucking in some air, he runs up the stairs and collapses on his bed as his head spins a mile a minute.

Grabbing his cellphone with his toes, he flicks it upwards and catches it, hitting the "answer" button and placing it to his ear.

"What is it this time?" He asks groggily, trying to keep those darn waffles in his stomach.

"Did you get those files I sent you last night?" The voice on the other end asks, completely disregarding his rude greeting.

"No, I was too busy vomiting my insides out. Can we talk about this later I really don't feel good." He complains, and the voice just sighs.

"Naruto, this is important it has to do with the murder from a few nights ago."

"What murder?" He asks, the topic peeking his interest as he sits up a little too fast.

"The one-"

"Gaara, hang on a second." He says quickly, throwing his phone aside and emptying his stomach into the bucket by his bed.

Groaning loudly like a child, he brings the phone back up to his ear after wiping his mouth and popping a mint in his mouth.

He could only imagine how bad his breathe reeked if the taste in his mouth was just as gruesome.

"So, what about that murder?" He asks casually, leaning his head back on his pillow and staring at his ceiling.

He can practically hear Gaara cringe.

"Next time you do that please just hang up." He says disgusted, and Naruto listens as he pulls out a handkerchief and wipes his hands.

"Come on Gaara you're not going to get sick by the sound waves." The blonde retorts, rolling his eyes as the redheaded clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"Just check your email when you're feeling better okay?"

And with that the redhead ends the call and Naruto sighs placing the phone on his bedside table.

He'll worry about this murder later, for now he's going to buy himself some medicine before he murders himself.

Getting up his foot lands in something squishy.

The blonde grits his teeth.

_Worst day ever._

xXx

Bidding her goodbye to yet another patient that morning Sakura cheerfully hums a tune while walking into the break room.

"What's got Haruno in such a good mood?" Kiba asks annoyed by her sudden shift in behavior.

"Probably a boy, sorry to break the news to you Kiba." Neji retorts, and Sakura spins around giving both of them a glare to shut up.

They do so, zipping their mouths and returning to munching on their lunches.

It was currently 1 pm, and a slow day for the rosette seeming as she'd only had about two patients since she came in. Deciding that she should go stretch her legs, since her two co workers were bickering about something stupid, she heads out the door and walks to the waiting room where she can converse with the nice woman tending the front desk.

"Oh Sakura, what brings you out here?" She asks politely, a warm smile glazing her lips.

"The boys are getting on my nerves." She admits, and the brunette laughs her two curled buns bopping up and down as she does so.

"New hairstyle?" Sakura asks her, pointing to her hair.

She blushes, smiling brightly as she plays with her bangs.

"Yeah, do you like it?"

"It looks good TenTen, maybe now Neji will notice you." She smirks devilishly causing the brunette to turn a dark shade of red.

"I-It's not like that Sakura!" She protests, but her chattering teeth and flaming cheeks giver her away.

"Besides, you're in a good mood today are you seeing someone, hmmm?" TenTen presses, causing the rosette's cheeks to turn a small tint of red.

The brunette smirks.

"So there is someone?" She grins, leaning her elbows on the front of the desk and then leaning her head on her palms.

"So, tell me about him." She presses further, and Sakura doesn't even know where to begin because she feels like she's going to melt into a puddle under TenTen's questioning gaze.

What will she think when she tells her he's actually living with her and they aren't even dating? Will TenTen think differently of her?

She doesn't want her clean reputation to go down the toilet!

"Uh…um…er…" Stuttering for words and feeling like a complete fool Sakura only prays that someone save her from this horrible predicament.

And as if her prayers have been answered, the door to the office flings open revealing a withered blonde, wearing baggy sweatpants, a bright orange shirt that has been put on backwards, and a baseball cap that is tilted to the side.

Not to mention he's also wearing thick black shades.

Sakura's eyes bulge out of her sockets.

"Yo, Sakura-chan you wanna heal me up?" He asks, slurring his words as his stomach gurgles and his cheeks turn green.

"Oh my gosh Naruto what happened to you?!" She says worriedly, rushing over to his side. He leans on her, his forehead beaming with sweat and his breathing raspy.

He only stares at her and a blush blooms on his cheeks.

Sakura raises a brow.

"You're pretty hot."

.

.

.

"EH?!" Sakura shrieks, slapping the blonde away from her as he hits the wall face first and slides down like jello.

"That hurt Sakura-chan…" He murmurs sliding down the wall and onto the carpet.

Shaking feverishly from the blonde's comment and feeling her cheeks burning she storms out of the waiting room yelling at TenTen that his appointment will be in ten minutes once she gets a room ready.

TenTen looks from the rosette to the blonde with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"So this is the boy Sakura's been gushing over all morning."

xXx

"Take those stupid shades off." She says, ripping the shades off of his face and placing them on the sink.

After _finally_ managing to get him on the patient bed in the small room, Sakura shuts the door and folds her arms over her chest.

"What hurts?" She asks, wrapping the stethoscope around her neck and looking at the blonde with raised brows.

"Everything." He groans, tilting to his side before collapsing on the bed and clutching his stomach.

"If I didn't know any better I'd guess you were no older than five." She says, shaking her head and walks over to him.

She begins by checking his heartbeat, and concluding that everything seems normal she turns on her heel to go grab the thermometer that's resting on the counter.

"Okay, now I'm just going to check your temperature." She says, turning around and blinking rapidly as Naruto's face is mere centimeters from hers.

Her cheeks flame as his blue eyes stare intently into hers.

"W-What are you doing?!" She yells, pushing him back so that he sits back forcefully and the blonde stumbles back before landing back on the bed. Sitting there for a few moments and still staring at the rosette Sakura can't decipher just what is running through that thick head of his.

"Strawberries."

"E-Excuse me?" Sakura asks, completely caught off guard by his actions.

Her heart is still beating a mile a minute inside of her rib cage, threatening to explode.

"You smell like strawberries." He says casually, leaning his head on the wall and letting out a breath.

"I wonder if you taste like them too." He mutters softly, and Sakura's cheeks flare all the way up to the tips of her ears, the red practically consuming her normally pale face.

"Y-You have a fever you're just saying things." Sakura tells him, although she's really only trying to convince herself.

Just what is it with this guy? She barely knows him and yet he's able to make her so flustered by just saying stupid things while he's sick and most likely has the highest fever known to man.

"Now, sit still and let me take your temperature." She says, regaining her cool as she shoves the thermometer into his mouth.

The blonde doesn't move, and she notices his eyes closing ever so slowly.

After a few minutes the thermometer beeps and Sakura pulls it out of his mouth.

Her eyes widen at the number.

_103.5?!_

"What did you do to make you this sick?" Sakura asks, worriedly rushing over to the trash and depositing of the thermometer. She scribbles a few things down onto the sheet pinned to her clipboard and after a few moments of no answer from the blonde she looks up and sees that he's curled up and his eyes are closed.

She can't help but notice just how cute he looks when he's sleeping. The sweat on his forehead gleams, causing his yellow locks to look even shinier then usually. The way his chest lifts up and down and the small little snores he makes almost makes her want to come over and pinch his cheeks.

Not forgetting to notice the hair sticking to his neck makes him look almost sexy.

_Sexy?! Sakura what are you saying?!_

She mentally scolds herself, shaking the thoughts out of her head and averting her gaze from the sleeping blonde.

"Sa..ku..ra…" He mutters drowsily in his sleep causing her heart to freeze.

He's dreaming about her?!

"Get a bowl." He says, opening his eyes slowly and rolling over lazily so that his head is hanging off of the bed.

His cheeks, which are tinted green, puff out and once Sakura registers what's about to happen it's too late because there is vomit all over the floor and the blonde is moaning curse words and clutching his stomach.

Yup, not sexy at _all._

* * *

AN: The doctor office scene was so fun to write, it just screams NaruSaku to me~ I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Sorry for updating a day late, I was busy watching anime yesterday and forgot...hehehe...

Forgive me?

Please leave a review, I love you all so much thanks for the positive feedback and support for this story! I didn't think so many people would like it already!

Until next chapter, toodles~


	5. Chapter 5: Mr Salsa

Opening the door to his apartment Naruto rubs his sleepy eyes and throws the medicine down on the counter as he grabs a glass and fills it up with water.

Popping two small white pills in his mouth he washes it down with water and decides to hit the shower before collapsing in bed.

As he makes his way ever so slowly up the stairs he can't help but think back to the rosette who literally nursed him back to health.

He honestly couldn't even remember _how_ he ended up in the small child's clinic, all he remembers is waking up in some kind of bed and getting the swirling sensation in his stomach that he was going to vomit.

It was the weirdest thing, and yet he felt some kind of joy when he looked up and saw that Sakura was there, rubbing circles into his back and scolding him that he should warn her next time before he pukes.

She then shoved some kind of a paper in his hands and told him to head to the pharmacy before shooing him off. She seemed flustered, oddly shy around him for some reason but he ignored it thinking that probably seeing a grown man puke and act like a child wasn't necessarily something she expected.

Naruo chuckles to himself thinking just how flabbergasted Sakura must have been when she found him in the state of near death.

Well, at least to him it felt like death, but Sakura put it in terms of "food poisoning."

Stripping off his clothes Naruto heads into the steamy shower, ready to wash off all of the sweat and filth on his body.

.

.

.

A good twenty-minute shower later and Naruto finds his cleanest boxers, throwing them on as he collapses in bed.

His stomachache is slowly starting to get under control and he hasn't vomited since he got home.

So far so good.

Rolling over on his side he grabs the remote from his bedside table and clicks a button that allows the flat screen T.V. to open and descend from the ceiling.

Just past the T.V. the blonde notices the striking view of the city and the orange purple sunset from the glass windows that were carefully designed to make sure Uzumaki Naruto got a killer loft apartment outlook.

Clicking onto a music station from his T.V. the soft tunes of French jazz fill the bedroom and a peaceful smile subsides on the blonde's lips.

Now that he was feeling better he decides to pull out his laptop and check those emails.

He scrunches his brow as he realizes he has two new emails from Gaara. Clicking on one of them a password protection pops up, and he types in the one code he has been memorizing since he was nineteen.

_Noodles_

The blonde types the words, allowing him access to view the email.

The headline of it strikes him, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

**Itachi Uchiha Found Dead In His Office This Morning.**

Scrolling through the information he realizes that this had taken place two days ago, and many have concluded that it was a planned murder.

Itachi Uchiha was the head owner of the wealthiest business corporation in all of New York City. He was part of a secret organization, and from what Naruto had heard, he had left and slipped a few gang secrets. Did they really kill him for that? Or is this more than just breaking an oath of secrecy?

So, who could have wanted him dead?

Deciding to scroll down further into the email, a picture catches his eye.

Clicking on it and zooming in he notices that it's Itachi, laying on a desk with his eyes facing the ceiling, soaking in a bath of blood.

He reads the caption beneath the picture.

"_A clean cut to the heart. Itachi Uchiha was dead in seconds."_

Eyes widening at this piece of information he reads more.

"_There were no trails, no evidence to pick up a lead on the assassin."_

His eyes scan the document rapidly as his heartbeat increases.

To the blonde this was all too familiar and reminded him of only one group.

_Akatsuki._

It was a group that he and his organization have been targeting for years now, quite frankly ever since he had joined at the age of nineteen.

Finishing up the email and finding no more valuable information on the topic he exits out and clicks on the second one.

Entering the famous password he views the email and reads the headline.

A shiver runs down his spine.

**Akatsuki Member Spotted in Downtown Manhattan.**

_An Akatsuki member?! Here?!_

Naruto mentally screams, his eyes scanning the page. fanatically.

"_From the information gathered it seems as though a member has been spied, making his way down the streets without a questioning glare from the authorities. He was spotted where a hoodie with their logo, the red cloud."_

Naruto's breathing quickens as he feels himself getting sick.

_Why would an Akatsuki member be here? _

He wonders, shutting his laptop and placing it beside him on the bed.

Trying to wrap his head around all of this shocking new information he decides to make himself some cupped ramen, since he realizes that he hasn't eaten since last night…

He shivers.

_Those dreaded waffles._

Making his way down the stairs, he heads to the kitchen and pours water into a kettle, setting it on the stove and waits patiently for the water to boil.

Leaning on the counter, he thinks back to the two articles the investigator at their agency had sent out to him.

It's not that the blonde doubted the investigator's intelligence, but why would an Akatsuki member be here of all places?

Was there unfinished business to deal with here? What was their motive? Did they know his location already?

All these thoughts bubbled through Naruto's mind causing him to run a hand through his slightly wet locks.

He hated this.

_What if Sakura-chan gets hurt?_

The thought crosses his mind causing his heart to drop.

_No, I won't let that happen._

He thinks, clenching his fists in determination.

The high pitch screech of the kettle startles the blonde, snapping him out of his thoughts. He takes out a cup of instant ramen, rips off the top sealing, and pours the boiling water over the noodles causing it to steam right into his face.

He inhales the scent that causes his mouth to water instantly.

Grabbing some chopsticks, he takes the cup in his hand and spins around, ready to head back up the stairs.

"Hey."

Naruto jumps at the voice dropping his ramen cup to the floor.

"Nice boxers" The redhead smirks as the blonde stares down at his attire.

"S-Shut up, I wasn't expecting company." He snaps, bending to pick up his now spilt ramen. Picking up the cup he walks back to the kitchen sink and dumps it in there, noticing two day old dishes he still hasn't gotten around to do.

He makes a face at it and spins around, grabs a grey robe that's hanging on a kitchen chair from the night before and throws it on, covering his practically naked self.

The blonde slumps down in the love seat, mildly upset that the redhead caused the destruction of his dinner and not to mention also seemed to break into his liquor cabinet.

"So, why are you here Gaara? It's not everyday I get a friendly visit from you. What do you want?" Naruto asks, leaning his elbows on his knees and staring intently at the Gaara, his blue eyes trying to read his motives.

Gaara smirks, reaching for the Tequila bottle that's, dangerously almost empty, on the coffee table, but Naruto intercepts his moves and swipes the Tequila.

"I want you sober when you answer these questions." He teases, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a good long sip just to play the redhead's patience.

Exhaling with a cocky grin on his lips, Naruto sets the bottle down hard on the table as he leans his elbow comfortably on his knee.

"Well?" He challenges the redhead, who has the face of a pouty five year old.

Gaara simply shrugs, fixing a button on his black tuxedo, before leaning back on the white couch and smirking devilishly.

"I figured you'd need backup."

Naruto returns his smirk.

_It's show time._

xXx

Opening the door to her apartment Sakura can't shake the nervous feeling that has crept up on her.

_Was Sasuke home already? _

She thinks to herself, making note of the fact that she most likely reeks of vomit and looks like a wild mess.

After Naruto's surprising visit she had been so exhausted and emotionally flustered that she decided to end her shift half an hour early.

He had made her heart do things that only Sasuke managed to make her heart do.

It was weird, but that didn't mean Sakura didn't enjoy it…even if just a little.

Once inside her snug apartment, she realizes that Sasuke isn't even home and she can't help but wonder where he is.

_It's almost six o'clock…he should be home by now._

Sakura thinks to herself, but shrugs it off by grabbing a box of cereal from the pantry and taking a seat on the couch.

Throwing some cereal into her mouth, she chews happily and grabs her book from the coffee table.

She flips open to the page where her cute kitty bookmark is set and begins reading.

_World Off._

xXx

That next morning she awoke to the sound of an obnoxious bird chirping like it was part of the freaking opera.

"Stupid bird." Sakura mutters, throwing the pillow over head to try and block out it's high pitched chirping.

With no luck, she groans and gets up from the couch and her cocoon of blankets.

"Morning Sakura." A smooth voice says, causing Sakura to freeze.

Her eyes glaze over the floor and to the kitchen counter where Sasuke is seated, in a black tux and a sharp navy blue tie, munching on some cereal.

Sakura's heart thumps loudly in her chest and her palms get sweaty almost immediately.

"O-Oh good morning Sasuke-kun." She says shyly, biting her tongue as she smooths out the bumps in her hair.

She probably looks like a mess and here, before her, is stunning Sasuke Uchiha looking like he's going out for a modeling shoot!

"I didn't see you last night? Had a busy day?" Sakura asks, trying to act casual and hopefully not butting in too much in his private matters.

Sasuke shrugs, sipping the milk from his bowl.

"You could say that, the interviews went smoothly. I didn't really get much out of them though." He responds, pushing the sleeves of his left arm up and checking the time on his expensive looking gold watch.

"Well, I should get going. I'll see you later Sakura, and thank you for again for letting me stay here." He says, running a hand through his hair as he gets up and heads for the door.

"Don't mention it, I'm happy to help out." She says warmly, a beautiful smile grazing over her features.

Sasuke only smirks slightly before heading out the door.

"He's so dreamy." Sakura mutters to herself dreamily, grabbing the milk carton a little too hard and it explodes all over her.

Standing in a blanket of white milk the bird outside chirps so loudly that the rosette is pretty sure it could be heard from Mars.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID BIRD!"

She angrily chucks the milk carton at the window.

The little bird flies away,

And the milk splatters everywhere.

xXx

"Put that milk away sport, we have to practice!" Naruto scolds the little seven year old who sucks the milk out of the carton in rapid speeds before tossing it into the trash and listening attentively to whatever his coach has to stay.

A toothy grin spreads on Naruto's face.

"Alright team, guess what exciting news I have for you guys today!" The blonde says cheerfully as all the kids jump up and down, his cheeriness contagious.

"We're going to the championships?"

"We have a new team member?"

"You're getting married to Sakura?"

The last question causes the blonde's cheeks to tint red and he flails his arms in the air giving the kids the heads up to quit guessing.

"Alright enough, enough!" He yells, silencing the group.

The blonde clears his throat, trying to calm down his flaming cheeks.

"Today, we're welcoming our new assistant…drum roll please…."

All of the kids start drumming their hands on their knees as a makeshift drumroll.

"GAARA!" He screams loudly, as all of the kid's eyes turn starry.

The man of the hour back flips out of a tree, does a ninja roll to the side, he lunges and with his hands forms a gun, making various gunshot ("pew pew") noises as he points at the sky.

The kids all stare at the red haired assistant coach in awe, their jaws hung open and everything.

Gaara cartwheels towards the children, stopping stiffly and saluting them.

"Gaara Sabaku, FBI." He says professionally as the kids giggle and salute back.

The whisker cheeked coach smiles at the irony of that greeting.

"You're so cool Mister, Salsa!" One of the kids says happily, bouncing up and down on the grass completely disregarding the fact that they got Gaara's name wrong.

The blonde tries his best to bite back the laughter.

Gaara gives the child a cool look, putting down the shades resting on his head.

"Anything for you tortilla chip."

The kid practically faints from the coolness.

Laughing as the kids circle Gaara and bomb him with questions, the blonde decides to blow the whistle and get the practice started.

"Alright kids, lets run one lap around the field for a warm up. Come on we can talk to Gaara later." He shouts like any coach would, and the kids all nod.

Once the kids are on the other side of the field Naruto walks over to Gaara and loops an arm around his shoulder.

"I have to admit, nice introduction." He chuckles.

Gaara's relaxed expression turns serious in a matter of seconds.

"I have three knives, a pistol, and a grenade hidden in these athletic sweatpants. Turns out if you buy a bigger size you have more room to store weapons." He confesses, his tone of voice sharp and strict.

Anime sweat drops from the blonde's forehead as he removes his hand from Gaara's shoulders, slowly backing away.

"Geez Gaara nothing's going to happen…you have to learn to live a little." Naruto says wholeheartedly, but Gaara shakes him off.

"I'll learn to 'live a little' once we find that Akatsuki member." He whispers, making sure the mother's sitting on the bench don't overhear them.

Naruto rolls his eyes at his partner's seriousness.

"You weren't this serious last night. Was planning your grand entry a tad more important than finding the Akatsuki?" Naruto asks, smirking smugly as he does so.

If that comment irritated Gaara, he didn't show it.

"Spending approximately four hours to make a grand display in front of those children was absolutely worth it. I have no regrets. And geez, four hours goes by fast when you're drunk."

Naruto blows out a breath and shakes his head, a smile spreading on his lips.

"You're still weird, good to know nothing's changed."

The blonde slaps Gaara's back roughly before whistling for the kids to come huddle in.

The redhead rolls his eyes, folding his arms over his chest before following the blonde to the group huddle.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

_AN: I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It gives you a little bit of insight on Naruto's **real** job. I know it's a bit of a plot twist and all and some of you may not like it...but I have good ideas for the future so I hope you all stick around! (;_

_Thank you for the massive support on this story already, I'm really happy whenever I read a review or see that I gained a new follow/fave! You guys are the best!_

_Leave a review and let me know what you all think, I love hearing your feedback!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	6. Chapter 6: Jealous?

Swinging the picnic basket lightly as she walks down the concrete path of the park, she hums a sweet tune.

She had planned to have a picnic with Sasuke this morning since it was her day off, but seeing as he was in a rush and couldn't, she decided that she might bump into Naruto at the park and share the food she had made this morning with him instead.

The rosette was also carrying her newest novel in her bag, overly excited to get started on it. It was a mystery novel she had picked up at the bookstore a few months back but was never in the mood to read it.

For some reason this morning, she tossed aside her romance novel and felt that a mystery would suffice her needs.

Spotting the soccer field she sees the blonde still coaching the kids indicating that practice has not yet ended.

Her eyes glaze over to a spiky red haired male that could be spotted from a mile away. Scanning the man's features she notices that he seems somewhat intimidating, his remarkable teal eyes cold and emotionless.

Although, she couldn't help but giggle at his irritated expression as all of the mothers huddle around him, asking him questions and tugging at his clothes.

He looks so out of place it's humorous.

Turning her attention away from the duo, she spreads out the pink-checkered picnic blanket, and takes a seat.

Not bothering to start with the meal she had prepared since she had eaten breakfast just before coming, she pulls out her mystery novel and in a matter of seconds tunes out the world around her.

What seems like a minute to the pinkette, which was actually two hours, she looks up from her book and is bewildered at the sight of two grown men nibbling on _her_ lunch.

"Cut down on the mayo, you trying to drown someone with it?" The redhead states bluntly as he takes another bite of the sandwich.

"It's really good Sakura-chan, you shouldn't have made this for us, it's too sweet of you." Naruto chirps, happily chewing the food.

Sakura glares at the two of them.

"Funny, cause it _wasn't_ made for either of you." She snaps, chucking the book at the redhead for criticizing her mayo, who catches the book swiftly not even flinching.

Naruto shoots him a glare from the corner of his eye, which Sakura notes.

"Show off." Naruto scoffs.

The red haired male then looks at Sakura dead in the eyes as he proceeds to slowly squeeze the sandwich, causing the mayo to ooze out at rapid speeds.

"Unbelievable."

"Who are you to criticize my lunch? It wasn't even made for you!" She fumes, grabbing the sandwich from his hands and chucking it at his face.

The redhead tilts his head, the mayo deprived sandwich missing his face by an inch.

"Whatever, mayofreak."

"Gaara, you love mayonnaise shut up." Naruto nudges him, hoping to ease Sakura's killer intent.

The rosette glares pointedly at them both.

"Oh, right I forgot to introduce you two. Gaara, Sakura. Sakura, Gaara." Naruto says cheerfully.

"How do you two know each other?" She asks, folding her arms over her chest and raising a pointed brow.

This _Gaara_, doesn't look like someone Naruto would hang around.

"Gaara and I were friends back when I lived in Chicago. He followed me out here 'cause he drank his way through culinary school." Naruto snickers, and Gaara shoves his elbow into his ribs, _hard._

"You can't tell a random stranger where I used to live." He says casually but Sakura picks up on the serious yet dangerous undertone.

Naruto rolls his eyes.

"Besides I'm a great chef." He states.

A gut feeling sets in Sakura's stomach as she comes to the conclusion that she doesn't trust Gaara. There's something about him, he goes from acting casual and making funny remarks to being completely serious, then to awkwardly casual as if to make up for his dangerous tone.

She didn't trust him, not one bit.

A phone beeps, and Gaara pulls it out his cellphone scanning the information from his text, his eyes widening slightly.

"Naruto, I think it's time for us to go." Gaara says, standing up quickly.

Naruto only nods towards his friend.

He moves his attention to the rosette.

"Sakura thanks for the lunch, sorry if we kind of ate all of it," He laughs sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know what? To make up for it why don't I give you my number? I can call you up and we can grab lunch sometime. It'll be my treat." He says, a bright smile forming on his lips.

Sakura's heart skips a beat a little, but she ignores it and instead hands over her phone.

Naruto punches in his number before handing back the phone and standing up.

"Why the sudden rush? Did something happen?" She asks, looking up at the both of them.

"Work related, some parents are complaining about stuff." The blonde pipes up, his nose crinkling.

"You're a terrible liar." The rosette retorts, earning a sheepish grin from the blonde.

"I'll make it up at lunch, I promise. See you later Sakura-chan!" He says, waving as he bids her goodbye.

Sakura waves back, feeling sadly disappointed that their picnic couldn't have lasted just a little longer.

But, on the bright side, she's glad that red headed freak is gone.

Sighing, she packs up the remaining lunch and heads home.

xXx

Coming home that evening, after spoiling herself and going out to eat since those two idiots decided to chow down on her meal, she has a satisfied stomach and is in quite a good mood.

Walking into her apartment, she immediately spots the raven haired Uchiha, sitting on the couch (aka her makeshift bed) and watching the sports channel with a bowl of tomatoes resting on his lap.

Sakura's heart tugs at the scene.

_It's like coming home to your husband!_

She thinks, practically squealing from excitement but refrains from doing so since she knows just how much Sasuke hates fangirls.

"Hey." Her crush acknowledges her, raising a hand in greeting.

The rosette smiles shyly, and tucks a loose strand of her pink hair behind her ear.

"H-Hi Sasuke-kun. How was your meeting?" She asks, placing her purse down on the counter by the door and proceeding to the love seat where she sits down.

Normally she'd collapse and moan about how tired she was, but near Sasuke she wants to look professional.

"Same old, nothing really interesting besides exchanging numbers and the client boasting about his most respected traits." He replies, popping a tomato into his mouth.

Sakura nods, trying to make it seem as if she's actually interested, when in reality meetings bore her to death.

"And what about you? You look…happy." He states, crossing one leg over the other as he reclines back on the couch.

"Well, I did go out and have myself a really good meal." She says simply leaving out the part where she saw Naruto and the part where he might have made her heart skip a beat.

Just small details.

Sasuke squints his eyes, not entirely believing her.

"Anything else?" He asks, as if interrogating her.

Sakura feels herself hesitate before answering.

"Well, I met up with a friend and we shared a picnic."

Although, that's not how it went and it wasn't as pleasant as Sakura would have thought. Sure, seeing Naruto had made her happy for some reason, but there was something about that meeting that felt _off._

His red haired friend seemed in a rush, as if he couldn't be seen in public or something and she knew for a fact that the blonde had lied to her when departing.

What could they possibly be hiding that she couldn't know?

"Hn, I'm guessing he was a boy by the glow in your cheeks." Sasuke points out bluntly, and Sakura flushes an even darker shade of red.

The rosette looks down at her lap, hoping to hide the glowing blush on her pale cheeks.

"W-Well yes, but Naruto is just a friend I assure you." She stammers.

_If he's just a friend, why is my heart racing a mile a minute?_

_Get it together Sakura!_

The pinkette mentally scolds herself, looking up from her lap at the Uchiha.

For only a split second she notices a trace of fear linger in his eyes before he blinks and it's back to his usual apathetic expression.

"So, the Aliiance is here." Sasuke mutters to himself, Sakura barely catching on to his words.

She's about to question him on it, but he cuts her off.

"Sakura, I don't want you seeing Naruto anymore." Sasuke says sternly, and the rosette's eyes widen in shock.

"What? Why not?" She asks, her brows furrowing at his sudden opposition.

Sasuke sits up, placing the bowl of cherry tomatoes on the coffee table and leaning his elbows on his knees.

"You don't know Naruto the way I do. I've known him since high school, and he's not who you think he is." Sasuke explains, his eyes piercing into the rosette's, making her slightly uncomfortable.

"How do you _know_ Naruto?" The rosette asks, her voice shaking slightly at his slightly overpowering aura.

_What was up with Sasuke? He normally is so calm and collected…_

"We were friends in high school, he went to a different school though. I only knew him because of my parents, but there was always something about him that seemed off."

Sakura nods, but notices the slight crinkle in his nose.

_Is he lying?_

Although, there was something off about him today; she had to agree with the Uchiha on that.

"And then one day I realized what it was. He was a _charmer._ He'd charm a girl, using his carefree attitude and treating them like they were the princess and he was their prince charming."

Sakura can only listen closely, realizing that what he was saying was true.

It's exactly what Naruto had been doing to her, but why was that a bad thing?

"I don't understand, isn't that how every girl should be treated?" The rosette asks, earning a soft stare from the Uchiha, as if he was looking at a confused child.

Sakura made a note that she hated that stare.

"He uses them Sakura, lures them in so that he has them wrapped around his finger and does whatever he pleases with them. Why do you think he keeps secrets? Have you noticed that rather obvious trait yet?" Sasuke presses, raising his brow as Sakura's eyes widen in realization.

He was lying to her today, at the very end of their picnic. She knew deep down that he was definitely keeping something from her and if what Sasuke is saying is true than he would want to have her wrapped around his finger.

"He's two faced." Sakura breathes the words, feeling the strong image she'd built up for Naruto crumble to a pile of dirt.

Sasuke snaps his fingers, "Bingo."

The rosette can't believe it.

She had thought that the blonde was innocent, a simple minded man with good values.

"How do you know all of this?" Sakura asks with suspicion.

"When you hang around a guy who hates you, you learn to pick up on a few of his bad behaviors. It worked wonders for blackmailing him." Sasuke says, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

Sakura nods, feeling the urge to trust him.

He is her crush; surely Sasuke had no bad intentions.

The rosette shakes her head.

No, there's no way Sasuke would do that to her, sure he had a cold exterior but she knew deep down that his heart was pure.

He would never do anything to hurt her.

It was how she had always viewed him.

"Well, I should be heading to bed. Goodnight Sakura." And with that he stands up, grabbing his bowl as he walks over to the rosette bends down and places a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, for everything." He whispers, his hot breath tickling her forehead.

Sakura's heart thumps wildly in her chest as he proceeds to close the door to the bedroom.

Had Sasuke Uchiha, THE Sasuke Uchiha, just kissed her forehead?

"Kyaaa!" She squeals into the pillow sitting beside her.

_Was she living a fairytale?_

Sakura thinks to herself as she stares at the closed door where the Uchiha is most likely getting ready for bed.

Little did she know it was the opposite of a fairytale.

* * *

_A / N: *hides* _

_(please don't kill me for that last scene, i hated writing it)_

_*uncovers blankets*_

_Erm, well I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sasuke being a jealous brat made me want to punch my word document since I literally dasfjepoijapsfj no._

_I don't really want to explain too much since I'll give everything away...so I'll just let you find out in the next chapters!_

_Please leave a review, they make me happppyyyyyy~_

_Thank you to everyone for following, faving, and reviewing y'all make my worllllld!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	7. Chapter 7: Secrets

Slamming the door shut to his flat Naruto sends daggers at the redhead who lazily drop down on the couch, grabbing the shot glass he had used the night before that is residing on the expensive mahogany coffee table.

"Are you trying to make us look suspicious?" The blonde growls, coming over and grabbing the shot glass out of Gaara's hands. The redhead scowls in his direction.

Naruto takes a seat on the love seat, propping his feet up on the table.

"Relax, she won't suspect a thing. I just made myself look like an utter fool in front of her, so she probably thinks I'm messed up or something." Gaara retorts.

"So what? She'll still have questions about what exactly I was hiding from her. Gosh Gaara, can't you just keep your mouth shut. And here I thought you were the better agent." Naruto mumbles the last part.

He runs a tired hand through his tangled locks and sighs. He looks down at his lap, trying to formulate just how to explain anything to the rosette.

He doesn't want to get her involved in this mess. No that wouldn't be the right thing to do.

"Uzumaki." Gaara snaps the blonde out of his thoughts, a threatening tone in his voice.

Naruto looks up, but before he can even blink Gaara has lifted him off his seat by grabbing the collar of his shirt, and he's pinned him against the wall, rattling the blonde.

A venomous growl erupts from the back of his throat, his icy teal eyes piercing into the blonde's oceanic orbs.

A shiver runs down the blonde's spine.

"You dare disgrace your superior, and next time it won't just be your neck that's sore." He threatens, his voice sharp and deadly.

Naruto swallows hard and nods his head.

Gaara huffs out a breath of annoyance, letting go of the blonde who wobbles slightly before regaining his posture.

"Now, where were we?" Gaara asks, picking up the shot glass and grabbing the tequila bottle from the table.

Pouring himself a glass he sits down, folding a leg over the other.

A cocky grin spreads on his lips.

"Did I scare you?" Gaara asks mockingly, earning an eye twitch from the blonde as he snaps out of his daze and storms over to the couch, plopping down and snatching the bottle from the redhead's hand.

Pouring the liquid down his throat as he brings the bottle to his lips, Naruto wipes his mouth with his sleeve before a devilish grin appears on his features.

"You wish."

Gaara scoffs at his confident attitude but decides to drop the matter.

"So, what's the news?" Naruto asks, leaning back in his chair and propping his two feet up on the table.

Gaara's eyes glaze over, his teal eyes shifting serious.

"Shikamaru left me a message saying that he's narrowed down our Akatsuki member choices."

The redhead's lips turn into a grim flat line.

"And?" Naruto presses, noticing Gaara's features darkening.

"None of them match."

A shiver runs down Naruto's spine, his oceanic eyes widening.

"What do you mean? The guy's obviously part of the Akatsuki, he has the hood logo and everything!" The blonde protests, and Gaara nods his head in understanding.

"I know, that's the suspicious part about it. Although if you think about it, it makes sense."

Naruto raises a brow.

"From the original Akatsuki members we know, none of them have used the same tactics as the one we're trying to chase down here in Manhattan. Zetsu uses potions filled with the world's most poisonous herbs to kill his victim, Deidara uses bombs, Sasori molds his victims into puppets after annihilating them, Kisame drowns, Hidan uses his victims as human sacrifices always taking the victim's heart, and Kakazu decapitates his targets."

Naruto nods his head in understanding. Gaara does make a valid point.

The redhead brings the shot glass to his lips, bringing his head back and letting the fizzing liquid slide down his dry throat. Licking his lips as he sets the glass down with a thud, he turns his eyes back on the blonde.

"And we definitely know it's not their leader, Pein since our organization had assassinated him months ago…and his little girlfriend, what was her name?" He asks, leaning back on the couch.

"Konan, the one that was obsessed with paper origami. She's at a mental institution, I remember our boss sent her off there to rot." Naruto says knowingly, his azure eyes glistening in sadness.

As much as he despised the organization he felt sorry for the blue haired woman. She was just being used by someone she called a friend.

"Maybe they got a new leader, that'd be the only explanation." Naruto chimes in his opinion, earning a nod from Gaara.

"That would be the only thing that makes sense. So, this new guy roaming around town is the leader of the Akatsuki…interesting."

The red haired agent reaches over and grabs the bottle, pouring himself another shot.

"What do you think he wants?" Naruto asks, folding his hands together as he leans his chin on his knuckles.

"That's what we're here to find out. I'll have to ask someone from our base to put up cameras around town. We should know his location by tomorrow morning."

He tips his head back, the shot glass empty in seconds.

"Clear things up with your girlfriend, make sure she's not suspicious or anything."

Naruto's cheeks flame up instantly.

"She's not my girlfriend." He pouts, folding his arms over his chest and averting his gaze in attempt to hide the glowing blush on his cheeks.

Gaara chuckles, placing the shot glass down on the table.

"Whatever, just make sure she doesn't suspect anything about us because-"

"Alliance is a secret organization blah blah blah, I've heard it all before." Naruto waves him off, standing up and heading to his room, leaving the redhead to himself and his liquor.

xXx

Sakura wakes up that next morning, finding herself in a different location.

She was…in her bed?!

Flipping around on her other side, she notices the Uchiha, shirtless may she add, snoozing away, his hair messy and disheveled making him look all the more attractive. The grey blanket only covers up to his waist, exposing his toned chest causing the rosette's cheeks to flare.

A thought causes her heart to swell.

_It's like we're a married couple!_

She thinks, a large smile spreading on her lips.

He groans a little before his sharp onyx eyes open, and he's staring right at Sakura.

"Morning." He says huskily, his voice causing goose bumps to erupt on Sakura's bare arms.

Her cheeks turn an even darker shade of red, and Sakura stammers for words.

"G-Good morning Sasuke-kun." She says shyly, biting her own tongue at her stupid good morning.

Why can't she be confident around him?

The Uchiha smirks, shifting in the bed before he sits up.

Sakura practically melts as she admires him.

The sun shines directly on him, as if illuminating his handsome jawline and messy hair. His chest and abs are so toned that Sakura practically drools.

Is a massive case of the bedheads supposed to make a guy attractive?

"Come on, let's go make some breakfast. I don't have any meetings today." He says rather lazily, pushing himself off of the bed.

Sakura nods, before a question dawns on her.

"Um how did I even end up in your bed?" She asks sheepishly, getting up as well, pulling down her tank top so that it doesn't expose her stomach.

Sasuke's lips form into a small smile.

"I carried you in, you looked pretty uncomfortable on that couch." He states simply, shrugging his shoulders as he ties the strings on his silk grey pajama pants.

"Y-You didn't have to do that you know?" She says rather embarrassed, a blush enveloping her cheeks yet again.

_HE CARRIED ME?!_

To the rosette it feels like a scene taken from one of her romance novels.

The whole, waking up next to you husband things, going to make breakfast, probably get a little messy on the way, then have a heated make out scene.

Sakura feels her heart thump wildly against her rib cage.

"But, I wanted too." Sasuke says smoothly, causing Sakura's eyes to widen and her stomach to do somersaults.

He exits the bedroom, heading towards the kitchen, Sakura trailing behind.

.

.

.

Twenty minutes later and the two housemates are engrossed in the topic of the latest novel Sakura's been reading.

"And you can't believe who was the real villain!" Sakura exclaims, taking a bite of the toast she's munching on.

"Who?" Sasuke asks, leaning across the counter a flirtatious grin on his face.

Sakura's cheeks heat up at the proximity of their faces.

"The girl's housemate, it was insane and such a plot twist!" She says enthusiastically, and watches as Sasuke's grin falters slightly.

"Really? How odd." He states, grabbing his own toast and taking a bite out of it.

"What you don't like mystery novels?" She teases, poking his cheek with her finger.

Sasuke shakes his head and pokes her cheek in return.

"Maybe I'm more of a horror type of guy." He jokes, earning a laugh from Sakura.

They finish up the rest of their breakfast, exchanging small talk as they nibble on their food.

"So, why the sudden change in character you've been…nicer." Sakura says carefully, hoping not to upset the Uchiha.

He leans on the counter, a stoic expression returning to his features.

"Don't see Naruto anymore." He states simply, causing the rosette's eyes to widen.

"So this is what it's all about? _Naruto?"_ She says, a bit of anger rising in her voice.

Sasuke just nods.

"Yes, I told you how dangerous he was, now stay away from him."

Sakura clicks her tongue in annoyance, leaning back in the kitchen chair.

"It doesn't make sense. After I thought it over last night Naruto just doesn't seem like the guy you described the other day. Sure, he might have his own secrets but doesn't everybody?" Sakura says matter of factly, earning an annoyed look from the Uchiha.

Sasuke groans, running a hand throw his messy hair.

"I know, I probably sound like a jealous boyfriend or something, but I'm just watching out for you Sakura." He says, his eyes softening as he leans his palms on the counter.

Sakura nods, deciding to drop the topic.

Maybe Sasuke was right, he seemed to know a lot more about Naruto than she did…but something deep down was telling her that perhaps it was the other way around.

But this was _Sasuke_ she was talking about.

Her childhood friend, crush, and the guy she grew up fawning over.

There's no way he'd just randomly show up at her apartment asking for help and lie to her.

Clearing her thoughts, she simply looks up from her plate and smiles at Sasuke.

"Maybe I'll just distance myself from him, okay?"

The rosette still can't come to terms that he's a bad guy, but she might as well compromise near Sasuke.

Although she notices his hesitation, he admits defeat and nods his head.

"Fine."

And with that, he turns around and begins washing his plate.

Did she upset him?

xXx

It had been two days since he'd last seen Sakura and currently it was a cloudy Monday evening, indicating the calm before the storm.

"Could you walk any slower?" The blonde complains, shoving his hands in the navy blue raincoat he was wearing.

The breeze was chilly, causing the blonde to shiver.

Gaara turns his head to the side, and shoots a menacing glare to his partner.

"Shut up. You're annoying me." He says bluntly, and Naruto rolls his eyes at his behavior.

For some reason the redhead had been moodier than usual and he'd found everything that Naruto does annoying.

"Walking around town and looking at faces isn't going to give us a suspect, we should go back and look at that surveillance footage Shikamaru had sent us." Naruto suggests, coming up to the redhead and whispering it so that no one around them hears.

Gaara scoffs.

"Sweetheart," A woman passing shoots the two men a dirty look, "I'm going to the bar."

And with that being said, he turns around and continues walking down the rainy street, his dark grey coat blending in with the gloomy color of the day.

Walking through the street, the blonde notices a blob of pink out of the corner of his eye and quickly distances himself from Gaara and turns his head to the side to face the one girl he's been dying to see since the picnic incident…

…Only to find her walking with a friend?

"Uzumaki, pick up the pace let's go inside." Gaara yells two blocks ahead of him.

People stare, and give weird glances to the two of them.

Naruto averts his eyes from the rosette and hurries over to his impatient and moody friend.

"Let's go get wasted." Gaara smirks devilishly, shutting the door to the bar as they enter.

Naruto swallows hard.

.

.

.

Carrying a sluggish and completely drunk Gaara on his shoulder, he kicks open the door to his apartment.

_And Gaara said he could "hold his liquor."_

Naruto scoffs at the memory.

Walking quickly to the couch, he dumps Gaara down, who is murmuring drunken words that aren't understandable, and throws a blanket over him.

Running a tired hand throw his messy hair, the blonde climbs up the stairs wear he throws off his clothes, jumps into some boxers, and tangles himself up in his warm sheets.

Just as he's about to fall asleep, his phone buzzes loudly, causing the blonde to flinch.

"Who the heck is texting me at," He checks the clock, "1 in the morning?" He mutters annoyingly, rolling over and grabbing his cellphone.

The blinding light from his phone causes the blonde to squint his eyes before being able to read the what's on his phone.

_Shikamaru Nara_

_IMessage_

Pops up on his lock screen, and the blonde swipes his finger across the screen, curious as to what the investigator has to share at this hour.

His eyes widen at the information on the message, one sentence in particular causing shivers to run down his spine.

"_The Akatsuki in the city is named, Sasuke Uchiha."_

_xXx_

_A / N: Please leave a review, I'm in a rushy so I can't say much! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	8. Chapter 8: Warmth

**A / N: Gahhh sorry for updating late. I got really sick and didn't feel like writing...I just slept and read fics and did buttloads of hw. **

**Anyways, I present to you chapter 8! Okay so I hope by the end of this chapter you all want to kick Sasuke really hard and tear him to shreds cause I did. :D**

**And the plot is just beginning to get interesting so yayyyyyy I can't wait to present more chapters to you guys!  
****Enough of me blabbing, start reading!****  
**

* * *

Flipping a page in her newest book, the rosette enjoys the morning sun as she sits in bed, her back against the headboard.

She was already half way done with her mystery novel, and happily munching down on some freshly cut fruit when her phone decided to buzz snapping her out of her little world.

"Who could that be?" Sakura wonders, placing the kitty bookmark on the page and closing her book.

Reaching for her phone and reading the caller I.D. her heart skips a beat.

Looking to the bathroom and listening to the shower run, she takes a deep breath and hits the green button.

"Hey." She greets nervously, biting her lower lip.

She knows deep down that she shouldn't be answering, that he's a player boy and will most likely end up breaking her heart from what Sasuke had told her yesterday, but she can't get that bright smile out of her head and the gut feeling that he would never do that to her.

Her feelings were really confusing her, and Sasuke's words weren't helping.

"Morning," Naruto replies on the other end, his voice groggy as if he'd just woken up.

Sakura can't help but note that his voice is very sexy.

"So, how about that makeup lunch?" The blonde asks, and Sakura can't help but blush.

_He makes it sound like a date._

The rosette thinks to herself, her heart stuttering.

"S-Sure, but could it be dinner I have work until 5 today."

"Yeah, I'll come by and pick you up at around 6?"

Sakura, hears the familiar click of the bathroom door and panic rushes inside of her.

"Sure, I have to go. Bye." She says quickly, placing her phone back on her bedside and flipping open her book.

Sasuke steps out of the bathroom, wearing his usual black suit.

"I'll be going out for the day." He says, the stoic expression remaining on his handsome features.

Sakura nods, a small smile on her lips.

"Sure, have a good day Sasuke-kun."

"Do you have any plans today?" He asks, grabbing his suitcase and spraying some cologne on himself.

Sakura hesitates before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm going to get dinner with a friend. I'll be home a little late."

Sasuke raises his brow but doesn't question it further.

"Sure, be careful."

And with that he exits the apartment, the strong scent of cologne lingering in his place.

A tad of disappointment edges in her heart.

She had expected a kiss on the forehead of some sort, perhaps a grin or a hug.

And for some reason she knows it has to do with her disagreeing with him about seeing the blonde.

But, why did he hate Naruto so much? Surely, there is no way that what he was saying about Naruto was true…to the rosette it just simply didn't add up.

So, she'd determine her feelings about Naruto herself tonight at dinner.

If Sasuke was telling the truth, or if he was lying.

xXx

Stripping off her white uniform, Sakura hangs it up on the coat hanger and throws on her rosy pink blazer, buttoning it up and eavesdropping on the conversation going on between her two co-workers.

"If you like her just ask her out for dinner." Kiba states simply, earning a smack from Neji on the head as he shushes him.

The rosette rolls her eyes.

"Don't talk so loudly, Haruno's going to hear us." Neji hisses, causing Kiba to snort.

"Everyone already knows you like her, you can stop being so secretive." The dog lover says casually, relaxing in his chair as Sakura walks by.

They zip their mouths shut as she nears the door.

"Oh Neji," She says suddenly, turning around as she opens the door,"TenTen loves that sushi place next door."

Neji turns fifty shades of red as the rosette walks out, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

Slumping her shoulders as she walks down the hall, Sakura sighs heavily.

It was her busiest day yet, and the rosette's energy went from "super duper high" to "drowning under water."

Lazily pushing open the door to the waiting room, Sakura greets the brunette with a wave of the hand.

"Gosh Sakura, you look exhausted. Couldn't sleep well?" TenTen asks, taking her eyes off of the computer screen and observing her friend.

Sakura sighs heavily.

"Something like that." She says tiredly, a small smile on her lips to reassure her friend that she'll be fine.

In all seriousness she was just a bit of a nervous train wreck.

She felt almost guilty going out with Naruto behind Sasuke's back. She didn't want him to be upset with her, yet she couldn't understand why he was acting so protective…almost as if he was her father or something.

It was weird, and set an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, go home and get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow Sakura!" TenTen says happily as she smiles warmly.

Sakura nods.

"You too TenTen, oh and have fun with Neji~" She smirks as the brunette's cheeks flush.

"I-It's not like that!"

xXx

Blinking her eyes as the end of the mascara brush gently glides through her lashes, Sakura looks up in the mirror and takes in her own appearance.

She decided to wear some makeup, not sure of how formal this whole dinner was supposed to be (Was it a date? A friendly hangout?) she had decided to add some makeup.

A light touch of foundation and concealer to hide the tired bags under her eyes was a must, and some blush to make her cheeks look lighter as well as some mascara for her eyes.

Taking out her favorite rosy pink lipstick, she applies it and presses her lips together, rubbing them back and forth to get the product all over her lips.

Nodding in content at the mirror and her own reflected image, she rummages through her closet until she finds the _perfect_ outfit.

Since the weather was gradually getting warmer, the rosette decided to wear a plain long sleeve white shirt and throw rose-colored cardigan over it. Adding a necklace around her neck, where a golden flower dangled from the chains, she slips on tight black leggings and slick black heels.

Keeping her short hair down, she flat irons her bangs so that they don't stick up and make her look like she'd just woken up.

Feeling satisfied with her look, Sakura checks the time and notices she still has twenty minutes to spare.

_Perfect._

The rosette thinks to herself, walking into the kitchen to grab a glass of cold water.

As she pours the water, the door to her apartment opens and in walks Sasuke, looking utterly exhausted and irritated.

He's muttering words under his breath as he slumps down on one of the kitchen chairs, throwing his business suitcase on the floor and leans his chin on his palm.

"Bad day?" Sakura asks cautiously, feeling slightly intimidated by the dark look in his sharp eyes.

Sasuke raises his eyes to give her a long, cold glare before answering.

"Nothing that concerns you." He snaps, rather defensively causing Sakura to flinch at his tone.

Noticing her rather spiffy outfit, Sasuke lifts a brow.

"You're going somewhere?" He asks, his eyes scanning every inch of her.

Sakura feels slightly violated by his hard stare.

"I told you this morning I'm going to dinner." She states, placing the now empty glass in the sink.

"With who?" He asks, his voice casual but Sakura can't help but notice the edge to it.

Why was he being so nosy? She never asked what meetings he was going to?

"That doesn't concern you." She says, using the same tone of voice he had given her when she asked about his day.

Sasuke's eyes widen for a split second at her uncharacteristically sharp tone before his lips curve up into his famous smirk.

"It's Naruto isn't it?" He asks, causing Sakura's emerald eyes to widen and her mouth to hang open slightly.

"H-How did you know?" She asks, taken aback that he can read her so easily.

"You would have told me otherwise if it was someone else."

Sakura only stares at him, unsure of what to say.

The two of them just stare at each other for quite awhile.

"I'm not going to let you go." Sasuke finally says, his voice smooth and laced with the smallest hint of rage.

"Sasuke, I can do whatever I wa-"

She doesn't finish because the next second she feels two large hands grab her wrist before forcefully shoving her body up against the refrigerator.

Yelping as the hard surface hurts her back, she opens her eyes and stares right into onyx orbs.

"You're not going." He whispers dangerously, his voice frightening the rosette.

"Sasuke," She says, her voice wavering slightly, "You're hurting me."

His grip on her only tightens.

Sakura cringes under his tight grasp, her back uncomfortable, as she's pinned against the hard surface of the refrigerator.

"Sasuke, let go." She demands, her voice stern and confident although her legs are shaking uncontrollably beneath her.

She didn't think Sasuke had this unruly and frightening side to him. Sure, she didn't take him as the "ball of sunshine" type of guy, but she didn't think he could actually have thoughts of…of hurting her.

Why was he acting so possessive suddenly?

Was he jealous that she was going to see Naruto?

Or was it something else?

Sakura stares into his eyes, and pools of black cause a shiver to run down her spine.

There's something about his eyes now that Sakura hadn't noticed before.

Something that causes all of her instincts to kick in and scream at her to run and never come back.

"Let go Sasuke!" She yells, struggling under his tight grasp. The look on his face frightening her as he stares at her like a maniac ready to eat her alive.

"Shut up." He says coldly, his voice barely a whisper but enough to cause Sakura's heart to plummet into her stomach.

His face edges in closer to hers, the warmth of his breath tingling her nose.

Sakura gulps, completely paralyzed by their proximity and by the fear wrapping itself around her ankles like a chain, restricting her from moving away from the predator.

"You're annoying." He whispers, his lips claiming hers.

They feel rough against Sakura's smooth lips and his kiss is rough, forced. He pushes his body against hers, completely trapping her against the fridge.

"Stop!" She yells, her voice being muffled by his painful kisses.

A throaty laugh slips through his lips, causing Sakura's eyes to widen in horror as his tongue slips through her lips and begins roaming her wet mouth.

As pleasure filled as the experience is, Sakura feels disgusted.

This is not how she expected her first kiss with the Uchiha to go. She had imagined him being a proper gentleman, classy and delicate with her.

But, now…

He was acting like an animal.

Realizing that his grasp on her wrists isn't loosening, she brings up her leg and attempts to kick in between his legs, to try and get him off of her.

But, no avail.

He traps her legs with his own into a tangled mess that Sakura can't get out of.

Frightened now that she might be harmed or worse raped, the rosette feels tears prick the corners of her eyes.

Why was he doing this? Was this the real identity of Sasuke Uchiha?

The man that she had loved since high school?

Whom she was willing to do anything for?

Just a few days ago he was treating her so kindly, and now he was simply using her.

Moving from his lips to her neck, Sakura takes the small time as he adjusts his lips to bang her head against his.

And she bonks him, hard.

"What the hell?" He mutters, stepping back to rub his head.

Sakura wastes no time asking questions or yelling.

Her heart is pounding a mile a minute inside of her chest, panic rising as fear settles in.

She rushes towards the door, her feet wobbly and her back throbbing. Just as her hand is about to grab the doorknob and she can practically taste freedom, a pair of arms wrap around her waste and pull her back.

"Let go!" She cries, tears of fear flowing down her face freely now. She feels as though she's in a horror movie and the villain is luring her back into his lair, ready to drive a knife through her chest.

Sakura is terrified.

"I told you not to see him!" Sasuke yells crazily, his eyes filled with lust and something Sakura can't pinpoint.

Vengeance? Hatred?

He whirls the rosette around, pinning her against the door as he stares at her with his dark and menacing eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" Sakura asks, warm tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Because Sakura," He whispers, his lips gently brushing against hers, "I can't lose to him."

Just as she's about to question and Sasuke is about to kiss her again, the doorbell rings causing both of them to jump.

"Naruto…" Sasuke says through clenched teeth.

He pushes himself off of the rosette, grabbing her wrist and pulling her off of the front door forcefully.

Her body jerks forward.

Sakura stumbles and her shaky legs are unable to hold her as she falls to the floor.

"Pathetic." Sasuke mumbles, turning his attention from the weeping rosette.

Looking towards the front door with a hint of panic in his eyes, he walks over to the kitchen, grabs his suitcase, and slams the bedroom door shut.

Sakura only stares at the closed bedroom door with widened eyes.

The doorbell rings again.

As if the small ding snaps her out of her daze, she staggers up and wipes her eyes.

Not bothering to fix her makeup, for fear that if she goes into the bedroom Sasuke might attack her again; she hastily opens the front door.

"Hey Sakura-chan nice to s-" Naruto halts his greetings as he stares at her noticing her puffy red eyes and shaking form. His oceanic eyes widen and his smiles drops.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, his tone of voice filled with concern as his eyes soften at the fragile pinkette.

Sakura shakes her head unable to hold the tears back. She hugs herself, her shoulders shaking as the thoughts of what just happened moments ago haunt her mind.

The pang of betrayal, hurt, and fear stain her fragile heart causing the rosette to cry even harder.

To think that Sasuke Uchiha was such a vile man causes her to crumble. She had built such a high image of him, thinking he was some kind of ideal boy, a perfect gentleman.

She can't help but feel stupid.

How could she ever think that he'd just want a simple relationship with her? He was using her from the very beginning and she should have known, from his mysterious eyes and dark aura, that he was nothing but trouble.

However, her childish crush and stupid fantasies had gotten the best of her and she pushed aside the twisted feeling in her stomach.

She really was pathetic.

Flinching as muscular arms wrap around her shuddering frame, a chin rests on top of her head.

"Hey, I'm here." Naruto whispers soothingly, holding Sakura closely to him.

Sakura's eyes widen.

_His embrace…is warm._

Sakura thinks to herself as she nuzzles her face into his chest.

After a few short moments, Sakura decides to pull herself together. She sniffles up her tears and takes a few shaky breaths.

Pushing away slowly, she smiles shyly up at the blonde.

"Thank you." Sakura whispers, "I'm sorry about that."

Naruto returns her smile and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Don't mention it."

They stare at each other for a few moments, Sakura wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself as Naruto fixes the tie on his shirt.

Sakura decides to take the time of silence to check out his appearance.

And much to her surprise, he cleans up rather nicely.

The black suit looks nice on him, and the deep blue tie brings out his striking eyes.

Clearing his throat, he decides to break the silence.

"So uh…" He begins, not sure of what to say as he scratches his cheek awkwardly.

Sakura runs a hand through her tangled pink locks, feeling that this is the worst possible "first date" ever.

She first off looks like a train wreck by now, and she doesn't want Naruto to find out what had just happened between her and…her roommate.

"Why don't you let me in, it looks like you need someone to talk to." Naruto suggests, his voice genuine.

Sakura's about to answer with an "okay" when a thought strikes her.

No, she can't possibly have two men, whom she now doesn't trust, in her household. Considering how much Sasuke loathes the blonde, she doesn't need any more drama.

She's still not sure if she can trust the blonde, if what Sasuke had said was true then this whole "sunshine" personality was just an act.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." She says, biting her lip as his shoulders slouch with disappointment.

"Maybe we can-"

His voice is cut off, as the door to the bedroom slams open from inside causing both of them to jump and turn their heads.

Sakura's heart drops.

"Someone's at your house?" Naruto asks, as Sakura tries closing the door in his face, but he intercepts with his hand, slamming his palm down on the door.

"You should go." Sakura whispers hastily, her teeth chattering slightly.

Naruto raises a suspicious brow, the fear on her face urging every sense in his body that he can't leave.

"Bye Naruto." She says softly, attempting to close the door, but the blonde's strength exceeds hers and he pushes the door wide open, causing the rosette's eyes to widen in fear at the predicament.

Azure meets onyx.

Time itself stops.

* * *

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	9. Chapter 9: Dinner

**A / N: OMG IT'S UP.**

**Okay, so I've literally had such a difficult time with this chapter, but after rewriting it so many times and just wanting to strangle myself (I'm surprised I'm still alive tbh) I've finally been able to come up with a decent chapter and here I am updating.**

**To be completely honest I do really like the way it turned out, much better than my past 98293289739237 attempts.**

**SO. **

**I know many of you expected punches to be thrown and guns to be fired, but then I realized "WHOA that's way too extreme." And let me explain why. **

**Firstly, Naruto doesn't even realize that this is Sasuke Uchiha (which is SO Naruto since he's a dense idiot and I thought it was just so in his character to disregard the fact that he could possibly be Sasuke _Uchiha_)**

**Secondly, even though Sasuke knows that Naruto is from the Alliance (basically his rival company) he's not going to start up a huge scene especially in front of Sakura. He wants to make sure she forgives him, which of course she does because Sakura has a lovely character and gives others second chances (which I don't find OOC since she does this in the manga on MANY occasions) And as some of you may see the small hints, Sasuke actually does kind of well like Sakura. **

^ **And that's that my lovely readers. I hope not too many of you are upset with the chapter. I had many (if not all) of my siblings read this chapter and they enjoyed it...so hopefully you will to!**

**Anyway if you still have questions regarding the plot feel free to PM me, but I don't want to give too much away so yeah...just get to reading!**

* * *

"Who are you?" Naruto asks, his blue eyes widening slightly as he stares at the raven-haired male. His slightly tense posture drops, and he stares in bewilderment at both Sakura and her mysterious roommate.

Was she…already seeing someone?

Her roommate sighs, running a hand through his messy black hair before kicking the bedroom door shut with his heel and stalking over to the blonde.

He politely extends a hand and an unnatural smile graces his lips.

"The name's Sasuke."

A shiver run's down the blonde's spine.

Could this be Sasuke…Uchiha?

After a moment of thought he shakes his head.

_It couldn't be. Sasuke Uchiha would be hiding out in a base right now probably equipped with guns and armed men._

_Besides…Sasuke is a common name, he could be Sasuke Watoshi for all I know._

_The air already seems thick in here enough…if I start firing questions about an Uchiha to this guy Sakura might break down again._

_He doesn't seem to recognize me as Naruto Uzumaki…no it's definitely not him._

"Naruto." The blonde says smoothly, gripping the male's hand and shaking firmly.

Out of the corner of his eye he snakes a glance at the rosette, noticing that she's staring at the both of them in shock. Her tears seemed to have dried up, although her eyes are still puffy and there's mascara streaking down her pale cheeks.

Naruto internally winces.

"So," Sasuke begins, letting go of Naruto's firm grip as he backs off and leans his arm against a kitchen chair," You're the famous Naruto Uzumaki Sakura's been talking about eh?" He presses, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinizes the blonde.

_She…talks about me?_

Naruto's cheeks dust red from embarrassment.

"You're looking right at him." He says, scratching his cheek in attempt to hide the blush.

Sasuke lets out a low chuckle.

"Well, I hate it that I'm interrupting your date," He checks the watch, the very expensive looking watch, on his wrist and then looks back up at the blonde," But, it's already getting late…hey I got an idea! Why don't you stay for dinner? I'll whip you up some of my mother's famous recipes." Sasuke inquires, his eyes dancing with excitement as he steps behind the kitchen counter.

Naruto raises a brow at the idea.

Although Sasuke seems like a decent guy, wasn't Sakura just bawling her eyes out seconds ago because of him? Wasn't he entering a warzone?

"I…I don't know." Naruto admits, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he sneaks a glance at Sakura, who merely rubs her eyes in attempt to get the mascara to stop running.

"I insist, Sakura you don't mind right?" Sasuke asks, an innocent look glazing over his features.

Naruto supposes he shouldn't have seen the fire in Sakura's eyes as she glares at the Uchiha, but the fire diminishes a second later as a smile graces her lovely features.

"No, I don't mind besides I promised you a date didn't I?" Sakura says, sniffling up her remaining tears and running a hand through her tangled hair, trying to put herself together.

The blonde nods, feeling as though his fate has been sealed and he's forced to stay at this dinner whether he likes it or not.

"Fantastic!" Sasuke shouts out, using a French accent as he does so.

Oh yeah, this was going to be a long and painfully _awkward_ night.

.

.

.

After getting properly cleaned up and trying to get herself composed again, Sakura walks out to see Sasuke and Naruto seated on the couch having a friendly conversation and cracking a laugh or two.

_What the hell?_

The rosette thinks to herself, shocked to see Sasuke's sudden change in character. He looked far more relaxed now; so much different from how animalistic he was acting earlier.

She tugs on the ends of her long sleeve shirt, hoping to cover up the small bruises on her wrists from Sasuke's tight grasp.

Letting out a shaky breath Sakura shuts the bedroom door lightly before walking over to the stove where water was boiling and large lasagna strands were bathing.

"I'm making my mother's famous lasagna, hopefully you'll enjoy it." A low voice says behind her as blob of black hair pops up beside her and the sharp eyes of Sasuke Uchiha land on her.

"What's with the sudden change in character?" She snorts, almost finding the situation funny.

Who did he thinks he is? Inviting _her_ date over and making her look like some crying fool?

Sasuke sighs, leaning his palms on the counter.

"Sakura, I am so sorry for doing that to you. I..I don't know what came over me." He pauses, inhaling a shaky breath.

"I don't understand why you would do that to me? All I ever did since your arrival was treat you with respect? And you go off and _use_ me for personal pleasure?" Sakura says calmly, although the rage and fury is evident as she stirs the pasta, her knuckles turning white from gripping the wooden spoon so hard.

Sasuke's large hand gently lands on hers.

"You have every right to hate me and be upset, Sakura I wasn't thinking clearly. I was a complete wreck from work, and then coming home and finding out that you were going out on a date with Naruto just…it pissed me off."

Sakura's eyes widen.

"You were, _jealous_?" She whispers, clearly surprised as she sets the wooden spoon on the counter and turns her body to face the Uchiha.

He averts his eyes in embarrassment.

"Yes." He admits quietly.

"So you sexually harass me?" She fires angrily, her voice hushed so that the blonde won't hear.

"I wasn't thinking, my jealousy overrode my mind. I'm so sorry Sakura, you've been nothing but a wonderful host to me…I screwed up." He admits, running a hand down his face as his eyes crumble in sadness.

Sighing, Sakura can't help but feel pity towards him.

By the look of his eyes and the warmth of his voice she had every right to believe he was truly sorry.

Perhaps she was more shocked that Sasuke Uchiha wasn't the perfect man she had imagined him to be? All her life she had built up this perfect image of him, that he was her knight in shining armor, but he was just an ordinary man, with thousands of flaws.

Everyone did deserve a second chance, even the worst of them.

Turning around and grabbing the wooden spoon, she plunges it back into the boiling water of large pasta strands.

"I forgive you Sasuke, but please never touch me again."

He smiles, genuinely _smiles_, which surprises Sakura even more than his apology.

"Of course, princess." He winks, grabbing some plates before walking over to the blonde with whom he immediately engages into some wild conversation about sports.

Sakura can't help but smile.

.

.

.

"Wow, this is really good Sasuke." Naruto compliments the chef's cooking, taking another bite of the ooey gooey lasagna.

"Why, thank you." Sasuke says playfully, bowing his head slightly.

"I agree Sasuke-kun, it's very good your mother must have been an excellent chef." Sakura agrees with the blonde, forking another strand of lasagna.

Did she just call him Sasuke_-kun?_

Sasuke finishes chewing, wiping his mouth with a napkin before answering.

"She was truly an astounding chef. Taught me all I needed to know."

The three fall into a small silence, chewing and finishing up their meal.

"So," Naruto finally speaks, deciding to ask the question that has been itching him ever since he laid eyes on the raven-haired male.

The two of them lift their eyes from their plates.

"Are you two…dating?" The blonde asks, raising a brow as Sakura turns bright red and practically spits out her food from shock.

"No, Sakura and I are nothing like that. She's simply providing me with a place to say while I stay here for business reasons." Sasuke says calmly, lifting the wine glass to his lips as he sips on the red liquid.

Naruto stares at his orange juice feeling quite less fancy.

"B-Besides Sasuke-kun is only visiting for a short time, a relationship wouldn't work out." Sakura says, placing her palms on her cheeks in attempt to calm them down.

Naruto nods, getting the feeling that they're hiding something from him.

"A-Anyway Naruto I wouldn't be going on dates with you if I was already seeing someone. That'd be absurd." The rosette states, a smile on her lips as she sips on her white wine.

_I feel like a two year old drinking orange juice…Gaara would probably yell at me._

The blonde thinks, staring down at his glass before grabbing it and taking a large swig.

A thought keeps creeping in the blonde's mind as he watches the two.

Why exactly was Sakura crying when he had arrived?

Did Sasuke do something to her?

Or was it something else?

Placing his glass down, the blonde pushes his plate away from him and smiles.

"Thank you for the meal, it was very good." He says politely.

Sasuke nods.

"Of course, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Noticing the quiet air, Sakura decides to break the tension.

"So you two, tell me how long have you known each other?" Sakura asks casually, folding one leg over the other as she looks at the two.

Naruto's brow quirks at the question.

Sasuke freezes.

"For a while, it's funny how well we get along now isn't it Naruto?" Sasuke says, a grin on his lips as he stares at the blonde, his eyes pleading for him to go along.

Naruto clears his throat.

Why did Sasuke lie to Sakura that they knew each other?

Just what was going on here?

"Hilarious." The blonde retorts blankly, his eyes narrowing.

"So funny in fact," Naruto begins, leaning against the couch," That I don't even remember you."

Sasuke's eye twitches at the comment, whereas Sakura gives the both of them a confused look.

"You always were the jokester." Sasuke says, forcing a laugh.

After a moment of awkward silence Sasuke sighs and stands from his seat.

"Well, let me tidy things up." He shoots a pointed glare at the blonde when he grabs his plate.

Naruto rolls his eyes.

And with that he grabs everyone's plates and heads to the kitchen.

"You two don't really know each other do you?" Sakura asks once she hears the water run and dishes being cleaned.

Naruto chuckles softly.

"I did not know of his existence until I stepped through this door."

Sakura rubs her temples.

"So now he's a liar, wonderful." She laughs at herself for being such a fool.

Naruto leans forward, focusing his eyes on the rosette.

"Sakura," He whispers softly, hoping not to gain the attention of her housemate," Are you sure you're okay? When I first got here you were, not to be offensive, bawling your eyes out. Did he," He tilts his head towards the direction of Sasuke,"Do something to you?"

Sakura's breath hitches in her throat.

After her talk with Sasuke she hasn't thought about the night's earlier events.

"It's nothing Naruto, I'm fine." She says hastily, her eyes turning watery as she blinks the tears away.

"Bullcrap. I don't buy it." The blonde says shaking his head.

Sakura bites her lip nervously.

"J-Just drop it, okay? Everything is fine." She says shakily, inhaling sharply through her nose in hope to reduce the water in her eyes.

Naruto frowns, but decides to drop the topic for her sake.

He makes his way towards the kitchen, where an apron wearing Sasuke stands, and pats the male on the back.

"Thanks for the dinner, you don't mind if Sakura and I go out for dessert? Since it is our date and all." He says, his lips curving up into a smile.

Sasuke shakes his head.

"I don't mind at all. You kids don't stay out too late!" He jokes, laughing as he returns to scrubbing the dishes.

Naruto shoots a large smile Sakura's way as he walks over and takes her hand. She looks at him skeptically before grasping it. He guides her towards the door, where he helps her slip on a jacket and opens the door for her.

She bids Sasuke her goodbye and the door shuts behind the two of them.

"Are you a fan of ice cream?"

.

.

.

Taking a spoonful of chocolate ice cream Sakura closes her eyes and smiles.

It's been a while since she last had the frozen goodness and the soft tingle it leaves on her tongue leaves a warm feeling in her chest.

She missed being a child and eating this every Saturday with her friends in the summer.

"I never sized you up to be the chocolate type." Naruto says playfully, swooping his spoon down into her ice cream before popping the spoon back in his mouth.

"Hey! You have your own ice cream!" She scolds and hits his spoon with her own.

The blonde only wiggles his eyebrows playfully causing the rosette to giggle.

"But, I wanted a taste of yours." He pouts, licking his own ice cream as it drips along his fingers, the cone unable to hold the massive pile of cookie dough and other various ice cream flavors.

"You're going to get brain freeze if you eat that fast. And goodness Naruto you eat messier than a first grader." She says, watching as Naruto devours his ice cream at rapid speeds.

"It's melting all over my hand! I need to eat it quick." He retorts, his mouth full of ice cream, a trail dripping down the side of his chin.

Sakura giggles, rolling her eyes at his childish behavior.

Chomping down the cone and finishing up his dessert in a nice and speedy five minutes, Naruto wipes his mouth with a napkin before his eyes grow serious.

"W-What?" She asks, growing uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

He reaches his hand over and wipes his finger along her chin, his finger glazed in chocolate ice cream as he pulls away.

Too stunned to say anything, the rosette immediately feels her cheeks flush as her palm comes up to touch the fiery spot where his fingers had just been moments ago.

"W-What are you doing?" She stammers, growing even hotter as he tilts his head to the side and a lopsided grin blossoms on his handsome features.

"You had ice cream dripping all over your chin, and you scold me for eating like a first grader." He mocks lightheartedly, earning a roll of the eyes from the rosette.

Finishing up her ice cream, Sakura places her plastic spoon in the cup before rolling up her sleeve and checking the time on her small wristwatch.

"It's getting late I should probably-…what?" She asks, looking up from her watch and noticing Naruto's intense stare at her wrists.

"Sakura, explain to me what these are."

He reaches over and rolls down her the sleeve of her shirt even more, Sakura too stunned to slap his hand away.

With fiery eyes he stares at her intently.

Sakura's mouth hangs open, too in shock to find the right words.

She had made sure that she had covered the bruises up, how could she have slipped up?

"Who did this to you?" He asks, and Sakura shivers by the dark and uncharacteristic tone of his voice.

"N-Nobody, geez Naruto calm down," She says light heartedly, a small smile on her lips as she rolls down her sleeves, hoping to hide the marks.

Naruto lifts a brow.

"Then how did you get these bruises?" He asks suspiciously.

Sakura chortles nervously, trying to act nonchalant about the situation when in reality she's sweating buckets.

She can't have him find out that Sasuke had caused those no that would be a bad idea. She wanted Naruto and Sasuke to get along, and so far they were doing pretty well…she couldn't ruin it now.

One small lie wouldn't hurt…right?

"You're getting worked up over nothing. I had this patient and she was so afraid of getting a shot that she gripped my wrists a lot harder than intended. She dug her nails into me as well, hence why the bruises formed. I promise, it's nothing and I'm fine." She reassures him, grabbing her cup as she stands.

Naruto thinks about it for a moment, his brows furrowing before he lets out a breath and shakes his head.

"Wow, your patient must have been _really_ strong. And don't the kids usually hold their parents hand or something?" Naruto asks, as they exit the small ice cream shop and head back to her apartment.

The streets are quite busy for the time of night and Sakura pulls in closer to Naruto.

Their shoulders brush a few times, each time a jolt runs down the rosette's body.

"That's what usually happens but nope, this little girl was trying to get me to stop the needle from going into her arm. Not to mention her nails were digging into my wrists, probably the cause of the bruises. Poor thing was so scared she nearly fainted." Sakura says, feeling horrible for lying to Naruto who so far didn't deserve to be lied to at all.

Naruto lets out a low chuckle.

"I was like that when I was younger, I couldn't handle needles or even being in a doctor's office. I'd probably end up biting your arm off if you tried injecting a needle in me." He jokes, his shoulder brushing hers for a few seconds as they continue walking.

Sakura laughs at his joke, actually_ laughs _which makes all of her worries and frustrations shimmer away for only a few small and rejuvenating seconds.

Being with Naruto…to Sakura it's like a breath of fresh air.

That is until…until he presses on further with the questions.

"So, you're really not going to tell me what happened before I arrived to pick you up this evening?" He asks, hesitating as he does so.

He knows that it's a sour topic for the rosette, but in all honesty he just didn't understand what could have made her cry so hard and cause her to look so…so weak.

To Naruto, Sakura Haruno was a strong girl, someone who could hold themselves up.

Seeing her in such a weak and vulnerable state…well it put an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

The rosette shakes her head.

"It's really just something between Sasuke and I." She says softly, stopping as they reach her apartment door.

Naruto sighs.

"I just want to know, are you sure you're going to be okay?" He asks, genuinely concerned for the rosette.

A warm hand cups his cheek, the touch instantly sending jolts throughout the blonde's body. Sakura tilts her head to the side, a warm smile gracing her pink lips, and her eyes soften.

"Of course Naruto, if I was in danger I'd tell you otherwise. You trust me, right?" She says, her tone of voice like a song, and as sweet as the ice cream they had eaten moments ago.

Naruto swallows hard as he nods against her hand.

"I trust you Sakura," He brings his hand up so that it gently lays over hers, "Always."

They share a smile, getting lost in each other's eyes.

She's the first to pull away after a long while, fumbling through the pocket of her coat until she finds her keys and unlocks the door.

"Back already? I just finished tidying up the place." Sasuke yells from inside, his voice cheery as he comes up to the door.

"You two have fun?" He teases, causing Sakura to turn a shade of bright pink.

"W-What are you my dad?" Sakura teases, pounding him on the shoulder playfully before stepping in.

Sasuke only snickers.

"Well, I'll be going goodnight you two." Naruto says, a grin on his lips as he turns around and heads for the stairs.

"We'll have to do this again sometime!" Sakura yells behind him, and Naruto can swear that means he's got the "ok" for a second date.

"I'll cook up something else this time!" Sasuke says happily and Naruto rolls his eyes as he descends the stairs.

He hears the door shut, the two housemates giggling.

Naruto can't help but feel slightly satisfied with how the night went.

He didn't necessarily get to have a one on one date with the rosette, but her roommate Sasuke seemed like a nice guy, trustable and quite respectable.

Although, there was the mystery behind why she was crying when he greeted her…but didn't everyone have their issues?

Even so, she had told him not to worry about it and he trusted Sakura enough to let her handle her own problems on her own.

If she didn't need her help certainly it wasn't that bad, right?

Another thing that irked him was that Sasuke lied about knowing him.

Why would he do that?

Running a tired hand through his hair, the blonde sighs.

At least he got to spend some time with Sakura, to him that's all that matters.

He was glad she had a good roommate, surely that wouldn't get in between their "budding romance" so to speak.

He had to admit, he liked Sasuke.

Smiling, the blonde brings his hand up to touch the spot on his cheek that Sakura had cupped with her hand.

It was still tingling as if fire was dancing across his cheek.

The blonde grins even harder.

He was definitely looking forward to their second date.

.

.

.

Finally reaching his flat, the blonde opens up the door.

"Finally, you're home where the hell have you been? I've left you over twenty missed calls." Gaara fumes, shooting up from the couch and pacing over to the blonde, his teal eyes fixated with rage and panic.

He notes the heavy bags under Gaara's eyes and the nose-scrunching stench of hard liquor from his breath.

"What's going on?" The blonde asks, throwing his jacket into the coat closet before following the anxious redhead to the couch where his laptop was spread out and sheets of paper were sprawled out.

Just what happened when he left?

Gaara hops on the laptop, his fingers typing at rapid speeds.

A small ding is heard from the computer and Gaara lifts his eyes to look at the blonde.

"Shikamaru and I found out where the Akatsuki member is hiding, while you were out doing who knows what." He grumbles angrily, apparently ticked off.

Naruto scoffs.

"I told you I was going on a date. Now show me where's that scumbag's hiding?" Naruto asks eagerly, ready to suit up and catch the culprit.

Gaara rotates the computer so that it's facing the blonde.

He points a finger to the picture on the screen of an apartment complex.

"Do you know this place?" Gaara asks, watching as Naruto's blue eyes widen to the size of watermelons.

The blonde feels his legs turn to jello as the familiar apartment appears on the screen. His breathing hitches and shock is too much of an understatement to describe his current emotion.

"_Well?"_ Gaara presses irritated that the blonde is staring at the screen for so long and not uttering a word.

Naruto clears his throat, not even looking from the screen as if his eyes were glued to the picture.

"I literally was just there like ten minutes ago,"

A sheepish grin forms on his face as Gaara's eyes widen.

.

.

.

"…And I think Sasuke Uchiha cooked me dinner."

* * *

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	10. Chapter 10: Conflicted

**A / N: _Hello Everyone! I am back with a new chapter, one that I hope all of you enjoy. REALLY REALLY loved writing this chapter, oooo the drama is getting good neh? ;) Leave a review and let me know what you think. I worked really hard on this one, so I do hope the outcome is enjoyable._**

* * *

There's a long silence between the two men.

Gaara purses his lips before stepping back and sighing.

He grabs the liquor bottle from the coffee table, before plopping down on the couch with the astounding view of Manhattan's twilight sky right behind him.

"I think I'm going to have to be drunk to listen to this story."

And with that being said, he takes a long swig of his drink.

Naruto still can't believe his eyes as he stares at the screen.

Was the Sasuke he had just spoken to, really the criminal?

It just didn't make sense.

"Gaara, are you _sure_ that Shikamaru has given you the correct information?" Naruto asks, running a hand through his hair in distress.

The redhead nods, slamming the liquor down on the table.

"As sure as I'll ever be." He confirms.

Naruto's eyes widen in horror.

"Then that means Sakura's in danger!" Naruto shouts out immediately, his legs turning numb at the thought.

She was living with a _criminal._

Rubbing his temples the blonde plops down on the couch.

"You mean that pink haired girl you fancy?" Gaara teases with a smirk, watching as the blonde's cheeks dust red.

"S-Shut up." The blonde retorts, scratching his cheek in attempt to hide the blush.

The redhead chuckles.

"If she's living with the Uchiha she must have some connection to him." Gaara suggests, tilting his head as he thinks about it.

Naruto only nods.

"Most likely." He responds, his mind running wildly.

What if Sasuke does something to her? Was that why she was crying? Did she know about the organization? Did she know about him? Did Sasuke do something to her?

Feeling the wild sense of fear pumping in his chest, he runs a hand through his tangled hair and exhales loudly.

"Okay, what do we do?" He blurts out, staring helplessly at his teammate.

Gaara takes a moment to think.

"Well we don't want the girl to get involved, but unfortunately she already is," Naruto internally winces, his worst fear coming true.

The redhead continues.

"So, we take that to our advantage."

Naruto tilts his head, clearly confused.

"Use her safety and innocent position as a way to spy on Sasuke Uchiha. He knows that the Alliance is here but he thinks we don't recognize him. Also, he doesn't know that I'm here, so everything is in our favor. No need to stress." He says calmly, sitting up and pouring Naruto some bourbon before sliding the glass across the table.

Naruto just stares at the glass as Gaara pours himself a glass.

"You really think this will work without getting her involved?" The blonde asks, watching as Gaara downs the drink in a second.

"It'll work if you don't get caught. Just try to find as much information about his motives as possible without your girlfriend getting suspicious."

Naruto's cheeks heat up and he stammers slightly for words.

"With the information you gather tomorrow we can proceed to formulate a plan to assassinate him tomorrow night. It'll be short, sweet, and simple. He won't see it coming."

Naruto gulps, always hating the night before the storm. Ever since he joined, the idea of taking someone's life always irked him.

He bites his tongue.

"Sounds…perfect." He agrees, although the violent churning his stomach says otherwise.

Gaara shuts the laptop, tucking it under his arm as he stands up.

"I expect you to go back to work tomorrow morning, and when you get home we'll proceed with the plan. Remember, meet with Sakura and use her to get information." He says, sitting up and beginning to unbutton his shirt.

He strips of his blazer, grabs a blanket from the corner of the couch, tosses it over himself, and snuggles into the pillow.

"Get some rest, we have a busy day ahead of us."

Gaara claps his hands together twice.

The lights flicker off.

* * *

xXx

* * *

Waking up to the delicious smell of bacon sizzling on a pan, Sakura pulls the blanket off of her body and sits up on her bed. The sun shines blissfully through the bedroom window, causing the rosette to smile happily remembering the night before.

She had successfully reconciled with Sasuke, had an amazing date with Naruto, and the two even seemed to like each other.

Today, she knew, was going to be a good day.

She kicked Sasuke out of her room the other night as well, telling him that she needed her room back due to the massive amount of knots in her back from the couch.

He agreed without arguing.

Slipping her feet into pink slippers, the rosette stalks over to the kitchen, her bedroom door already wide open. She walks right out of her room and reaches the kitchen/living room space.

Upon reaching the kitchen counter, the Uchiha still not noticing her as he cooks away, she sneaks a glance at the open laptop on the counter. Her emerald eyes scan the page.

The screen reveals his email account and immediately Sakura notices the large words in bold that read: **Vertigo Import 1M-**

"Morning." Sasuke says, a smile gracing his lips as the laptop screen slams shut and Sakura bounces back from shock.

A slightly anxious expression glazes his face as he spins around to resume cooking.

Sakura takes a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

She's more than a hundred percent sure she wasn't supposed to read that email.

Clearing her throat after a moment, she pulls a strand of stray hair behind her ear and takes a seat on a stool, not giving the email another thought.

"Sleep well?" Sakura teases, trying to let on a lighter atmosphere as a smirk plays on her lips as his shoulders stiffen.

"My back feels like it aged a few centuries but otherwise then that I slept very well." He says chuckling as Sakura rolls her eyes at his comment.

"Welcome to the club." She retorts, eyeing the plate as he slides it over to her across the island counter.

"What's with that face? Don't like bacon?" He asks light heartedly, pouring freshly squeezed orange juice into a glass before sliding it over to her as well.

Sakura shakes her head.

"N-No! It's just that, well," She says, raising her face from the plate as a smile forms on her lips," I'm glad everything is back to normal."

Sasuke, blinking a few times clearly caught off guard, returns her smile. He pops a piece of toast in his mouth, walking around the counter and grabbing a blazer, which is draped over the stool. Pulling his arms through the sleeves, he then takes the toast out of his mouth.

"I am too, and hey to make up for yesterday's events why don't I take you out to lunch today?" He inquires, chomping through his toast.

Sakura feels her heart skip a beat, his smooth voice ringing in her ears.

"I'd love to. But don't you have a meeting?"

Sasuke shakes his head, wiping his hands on his black pants.

"Nope, I get out early today. So how about it? A fresh new start?"

Sakura can't help but feel her lips curve up into a smile. The sun shining brightly outside through the windows illuminates the Uchiha's dark hair, almost making him look like some kind of prince.

She could see on his face that he was still sorry about his past actions the other day and just how much he hoped to change for her.

_For her._

"A new start…I like the sound of that."

"Great, I'll pick you up at twelve."

And with that, he gives her a small wink before spinning around and heading out the door with a suitcase in hand.

The rosette watches as the door closes and just as it does she spins around to face her plate, all thoughts of the suspicious email pushed to the side.

Her pale cheeks dust a rosy red.

They were going on their first date!

* * *

xXx

* * *

"I'm taking a lunch break!" Sakura yells as the clock strikes 11:45 am.

"It's a little early for lunch Sakura." TenTen says as the pink haired pediatrician stalks past her.

Sakura stops in her tracks, walking over to the front desk where she leans on her elbows and laces her fingers together.

"It's never too early to get ready for a lunch date." She says smugly, as TenTen's eyes widen.

"Naruto again?" The brunette inquires winking as she twirls a pen against the desk.

Sakura shakes her head causing the brunette to cock her head in confusion.

"Then…who?" She asks, furrowing her brows as the rosette breaks out into a shining smile.

"His name is Sasuke Uchiha."

TenTen's brows furrow.

"Can you believe it? He's been my childhood crush for years now, and look at us going on a date." Sakura beams, giggling slightly at the thought of her handsome roommate.

"Sakura," TenTen says, her tone serious as her brown eyes bore into the rosette's.

Sakura gulps at her friend's slightly intimidating glare.

"Are you cheating on Naruto?" She whispers the words, as if they're taboo.

Sakura's emerald eyes widen, taken aback by her friend's comment.

How dare she accuse her of cheating! Just who did she think she was!

"TenTen of course not! Naruto and I aren't even dating!" She defends herself, slightly offended.

Of course she had technically taken Naruto out on a date but that didn't mean she had _feelings_ for the blonde. Sure he was handsome and had his charm, but she had liked Sasuke all along and after making up with him she felt as if they had a perfect new tab to start over.

Feeling a violent churning in her stomach, the rosette frowns slightly.

Then why did she have this feeling of heavy guilt churning in her stomach?

Did she really have feelings…for both of them?

"That's not what it looks like Sakura." TenTen says, raising a brow of suspicion at her friend.

Ignoring the gut feeling, Sakura shakes her head.

"No way TenTen, Naruto and I are just friends. Both of them are_ just friends_." The rosette emphasizes the last part, trying more to convince herself then her co-worker.

"You just said you had a huge crush on Sasuke not less than two seconds ago!" TenTen argues.

"TenTen, it's fine I know what I'm doing." Sakura fires back, folding her arms over her chest.

The brunette frowns.

"Sakura you can't have both! As much as you want them you can't have both! You don't what you're getting yourself into, you'll have to choose one of them sooner or later." TenTen snaps, shooting up from her chair as a vein pops on her forehead.

Sakura flails her arms wildly, clearly upset.

"You're just jealous 'cause Neji hasn't made a move on you!" The rosette fires back, her face reddening with anger.

TenTen rolls her eyes.

"I'm only saying this because I care." TenTen says, softening her voice as she slumps back down in her chair.

She sighs heavily, leaning back in her chair.

"Playing tug of war with two men it's just…it's not you. I'm worried that you'll go too far deep into this mess and you won't get out…afraid that you'll change. I just don't want to lose my best friend." TenTen says, her eyes soft and caring as she looks at her best friend.

Sakura's about to answer when the doors to the pediatrician office burst open, slamming the wall loudly.

Almost jumping out of her own skin, Sakura glances over at the door only to see a blonde, wearing athletic wear that popped in its neon colors, and fixing his hat that had flown off from the breeze the door opening had given off.

But, despite his loud and uncomfortable entrance, Sakura feels her heart thumping wildly her chest just from laying her eyes on him.

"N-Naruto what are you doing here?!" Sakura asks, astonished as he pulls on his cap and looks up.

Her breath catches in her throat as his striking blue eyes meet hers.

"Sakura wanna go grab some lunch, like right now? I really need to talk to you." He says cheerfully, his words sugar coated as he smiles.

His smile only enhances his handsome features causing the rosette's heart to pump faster but she forces herself to ignore the feeling.

"Lunch? Now?" She asks, snaking a glance at TenTen who crosses her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes.

Naruto scratches the back of his neck sheepishly as he lets out a small chuckle.

"Uhh yeah but if you have plans it's alright I know it's sudden."

Sakura can't help but giggle at his behavior finding it oddly cute.

"No I'm free I just wasn't… expecting you is all. Let me go grab my bag and I'll be right out." Sakura says happily, adding a skip to her step as she heads to the break room.

Grabbing her purse from the break room, the door swings open revealing an agitated TenTen.

"Sakura what the heck is all of this about?! Don't you have a date with Sasuke?" She practically hisses, her eyes glowering at the rosette.

Sakura's eyes widen.

She totally forgot about Sasuke's lunch!

"I'm sorry Sakura and believe me I really don't want to say this but you're acting like such a whore." She states, huffing angrily.

Taken aback, Sakura widens her eyes before a scowl sets on her features.

"TenTen! I am _not_ a whore." She snaps, clenching her fists tightly and trying to bite back the many insults coursing through her head.

The brunette scoffs.

"Well you sure are good at playing the part. You know what? Naruto actually seems like a decent guy and you shouldn't just be keeping him wrapped around your fingers like some high school drama." She puts a hand on her hip, fuming with anger.

Sakura inhales sharply through her nose, trying to regain her calm before biting off TenTen's head in rage.

"Well I choose Naruto okay TenTen? Now back off, I choose him and I'm going to grab lunch with him. Now if you'll excuse me…" She says hastily, not really giving her words much thought as she moves past TenTen and hurries out the door.

Once the door is shut behind her she pulls out her phone and shoots a text to Sasuke, apologizing that she has to cancel plans because something came up at work.

To Sakura it's not entirely a lie, something did come up…well more like someone.

Sasuke replies almost immediately.

"_It's fine, no big deal. I'll cook dinner when I get home, it'll be my treat."_

Feeling her heart flutter at his words, she quickly tosses the phone back in her bag along with her feelings for Sasuke…for now.

Walking into the waiting room, she sees Naruto standing by the door, eyeing some paintings and tapping his foot.

"Ready to go?" He says, once he hears her heels clicking on the floor, his lips curve into an immediate smile upon seeing the rosette.

Sakura returns the smile, her lips practically moving on their own.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

xXx

* * *

He had chosen a simple diner to grab lunch at, a place that served the best chicken tenders he's ever had. Naruto was debating on taking Sakura out for some ramen, but decided against it not really sure if she liked the dish.

Taking a seat across from the rosette in a red booth, Naruto feels his palms growing sweaty.

He was basically committing suicide by taking her out.

The night before, when he and Gaara had decided on a plan, he knew that his only true purpose in this mission was to use Sakura to get information out of her but now seeing her, eyeing the menu with a cute quirked brow, he didn't know if he was going to be able to keep the information about their mission in.

"You said the chicken tenders were good right?" Sakura asks, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.

He blinks a few times before nodding his head, a smile gracing his features.

"The best you'll ever have." He admits happily, but he feels his heart race rapidly.

Sakura was such a good person; she didn't deserve to lose someone…especially not someone she was so close with like…like Sasuke.

The thought of the Uchiha's name causes Naruto's stomach to churn violently.

He was going to have to kill him.

"Naruto? Earth to Naruto?" Sakura says, waving a hand in front of his face.

He blinks rapidly in surprise, silently cursing himself for getting lost in his thoughts for the second time.

Sakura leans back in her booth, quirking a brow at him.

"Something on your mind?" She inquires.

The blonde swallows hard, wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts.

"You don't even know." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck as he chuckles uneasily.

Sakura places her elbow on the table, leaning her cheek against her palm.

"I'm here to listen if you need someone." She says gently, smiling softly towards him.

Naruto's breath catches in his throat, his mind racing wildly.

There was no way he could just keep all of this information from her.

Sure, Sakura didn't deserve to be involved and he was completely against the idea, but he figures that she deserves to know that she is living with a highly dangerous criminal.

Gaara was right, she already was involved whether he liked it or not.

"Actually Sakura," He begins, inhaling sharply through his nose before continuing, "It's about you…and Sasuke."

He watches as Sakura's eyes blink in surprise, and she sits up.

"W-What do you mean?" She asks hastily, feeling her own palms become a little wet.

"This is going to sound crazy, but Sasuke Uchiha isn't who you think he is." Naruto says, watching as her features twist in confusion, although her shoulders sag in…relief?

"I don't understand Naruto. I think I know him better than you do." She states, playing with the straw of her water.

The blonde sighs.

_Here goes nothing._

He thinks, rubbing his palms together before leaning back.

"Do you know what Sasuke does for a living?" He asks her, watching as she looks up in thought.

After a moment, the rosette shakes her head.

"Not really, he just tells me he goes to business meetings to interview people. Why do you ask?" She inquires, furrowing her brow at him.

"Sakura, I know this is going to sound crazy, but he's not really a business man. Sasuke Uchiha works for a business corporation called _Uchiha Corps._ but, that's not all. Inside of this corporation lies a team of highly trained individuals who smuggle drugs illegally into the country, hoping to gain a profit off of them. They're called _The Akatsuki._"

At these words Sakura's eyes widen, although she can't help but scoff.

"Smuggling drugs? Naruto, no offense, but this is ridiculous." Sakura says, although using a confident tone she can't help but feel her mind swirling.

The email she had sneaked a glance at this morning flashes through her mind.

Was vertigo some kind of a drug? She had never heard of it before, but it did seem sketchy.

"Sakura, this guy is dangerous, he's a criminal. Records show that he killed his own brother because he had betrayed the organization!" Naruto whispers harshly, hoping to get through to the rosette that he isn't joking around.

_Killed…his own brother?_

She feels her legs turn numb and her hands shake at the thought of taking a siblings life.

Sakura shakes her head violently.

No, there was no way that Sasuke Uchiha, the man that she had known since she was young, was a criminal working for some kind of secret organization. That email was probably nothing; she saw things wrong most likely.

And Sasuke...a murderer? No, it truly made no sense to the rosette.

"This…this can't be true…Sasuke isn't a bad person." She says shakily, her appetite gone as the waitress brings both of them large plates of chicken tenders.

Naruto thanks her politely as she walks off before turning his attention back on the rosette.

"I'm sorry Sakura." He apologizes, his voice sincere as he averts his eyes.

Sakura's vision blurs, not wanting to believe the words that Naruto was giving her. The tears in her eyes were growing thick. She couldn't hold back anymore.

Soon enough, two twin rivers were falling out of her eyes.

"Naruto this is absurd, he's not…he's not like this! He's not perfect but he's not some kind of criminal! Definitely not a murderer!" She says rather loudly, acting out in denial.

Some people look over in interest at her raised voice.

How could he possibly know who Sasuke was? He didn't know him like she did.

The thought strikes her, halting her tears as her mouth gapes open.

Now that she thinks about it, she didn't know who Sasuke was either.

She had only really talked to him since he arrived. Throughout high school he never gave her the time of day.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Naruto asks worriedly, watching as her angered face turns blank, her eyes turning dull.

Sakura doesn't respond, her own thoughts running wildly through her mind.

Her thoughts linger back to the night before and how wild Sasuke was acting, all because she announced she was going on a date with the blonde. Sasuke was acting very possessive of her, and every time she mentioned the blonde his eyes danced in fear and his mood changed tenfold.

How he slammed the laptop shut this morning, sealing off his email. How all this time he had been hiding something, but she was too blinded to care because of her childish crush on him.

"I'm living with a criminal." She mutters softly, her eyes widening even more as she stares dumbfounded at the plate of food. Realization hits the rosette like a truck, shattering her whole image of the beloved Uchiha she had grown so fond of over the years.

As much as she wishes it weren't true, the hard cold facts laid out perfectly. He wasn't the good-looking star of high school anymore, he had changed.

And drastically so.

Naruto only nods, biting his lip as he watches Sakura's world collapse.

He hated doing this to her, seeing her so vulnerable, but it was the only way of keeping her safe.

She was bound to find out the truth sooner or later.

"Naruto, how do you know all of this?" She asks after a long moment of silence.

The blonde takes a long and deep breath before answering.

"'Cause I'm the guy who's supposed to take him down."

* * *

_**Until next chapter, toodles~**_


	11. Chapter 11: The Truth Hurts

"Here's the bill sir." The kind waitress says, a small smile on her lips as she places the bill on the table. She snakes a worried look at Sakura. Naruto nods, forcing a small smile of his own, as she nods and returns back to wait another table.

It's been roughly fifteen minutes since he'd dropped the bomb about being the man to take down her roommate.

And Sakura Haruno had not uttered a word.

Naruto has watched her, with sweaty palms and an ache in his throat to say something, stare at her plate of chicken tenders with eyes widened to the size of golf balls.

She was clearly shaken up, by the way her breathing was quick and raspy, but he could see that her mind was turning gears.

He wanted to say something, his throat was burning to say something, but what could he possibly say?

He just basically announced to her that he's going to kill Sasuke Uchiha, her _roommate._

Throwing his head into the palm of his hands the blonde lets a groan roll out of his lips.

He really was an idiot.

After what seemed like an eternity, the snapping sound of heels peeked his attention as he looked up from his hands to see the rosette on her feet.

"I'm going home." She says softly, her voice almost breaking as she looks ahead, not bothering to look into the blonde's eyes.

As she walks past his booth he reaches out his hand and grabs her wrist protectively.

"Sakura, I am not letting you go back home to a dangerous criminal." He retorts sharply, his voice indicating there is no room for argument.

Sakura hesitates before turning her head, her eyes meeting his. She notices the flicker of fear in his blue orbs, knowing deep down that he really is indeed scared for her safety.

She clears her throat, already feeling it constricting as the news swirls in her mind.

"Please don't…don't call him that." She practically begs, her voice shaking as she feels the tears pool in her eyes. To call him a criminal, it only caused Sakura to feel more agony to weigh down in her heart.

Forcing back the tears, she inhales sharply through her nose.

"Naruto, I just…I don't know who to believe." She whispers softly, her own voice practically falling apart as her lids close shut tightly.

First it was Sasuke warning her that Naruto was some terrible person and now it was Naruto's turn to bash Sasuke.

These were two men in her life, two of whom she'd grown pretty close to in the last few weeks, and now they were both cramming information into her head about the other that was both confusing and quite unrealistic.

So what Sasuke had an email on his laptop talking about vertigo? It could just be the newest title for his business project.

But, her gut feeling was telling her otherwise.

"Who to believe? Sakura I'm the only one telling the truth. I wouldn't be making this stuff up, even you should know that I'm not actually this smart." He chuckles lightly, trying his hardest to lift her spirits.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Sakura can't help but agree with him.

From her observance of Naruto she knew that he wasn't the genius type, making up something this elaborate would only take a mastermind.

And Naruto…well he was far from that.

Taking a shaky breath, the rosette wiggles out of his grip and ignores the fiery tingly sensation his touch leaves on her wrist.

"So what am I supposed to do? If Sasuke really is some criminal and you're telling the truth am I supposed to just happily waltz back into my apartment and look him in the face, pretending like I don't know anything?" She says harshly, feeling her heart hammering in her chest at the thought of seeing her raven-haired roommate.

The more she thought about it, the more Naruto's words seemed to sink in and _seem_ like the truth.

And Sakura hated it.

She didn't want to think of Sasuke as a criminal.

To her, he was still her crush, the man that she had grown to love throughout her years in school.

"I know this must be hard for you, I can only imagine," He begins, standing as well now in front of her as he gently places his hand over hers.

"But, I can't let you go back. You could be in danger Sakura…I don't want you getting hurt." He presses gently, his eyes turning soft with genuine care as he gives her hand a small squeeze.

The rosette only nods, feeling her throat constrict as the warmth of his gaze makes her realize that indeed he hasn't been lying to her at all.

That in reality, Sasuke Uchiha really was some kind of a criminal.

She shudders at the mere thought, feeling her head swirl, her stomach thrash violently, and her heart shatter into a thousand of pieces.

Why was this happening to her? Why was everything she believed actually one huge lie?

Sasuke a criminal.

She couldn't get the thought out of her head.

Why would he lie to her? Was she part of his criminal plan, was that the reason he had suddenly sprung and called her up to invite himself to her place?

Or was it Naruto that was lying to her? Or worse, if what Sasuke said is true, he could just be playing with her feelings, making her feel safe and secure… all in an attempt to get in her pants.

_No. He would never do that…would he?_

Sakura bites her lip hard to mask the hurt she feels inside. Who should she trust?

Tenten words ring in her ears, "_you'll have to choose one of them sooner or later_…"

Naruto immediately notices her crushed expression, and watches as her eyes pool with tears.

"It's gonna be okay, Sakura, promise." He whispers soothingly to her, but that only causes the rosette to flinch. She still won't meet him in the eyes.

Naruto turns his head to see that half of the diner is staring their way with confused looks, some even whispering words to each other.

Feeling slightly anxious from being caught in the spotlight, the blonde slides an arm around her waist without her consent and gently leads her out of the diner whispering to her that people are staring.

She lets him, not bothering to pay him any attention as she still tries to sort out her feelings.

Once they're out of the diner, and back on the busy streets of Manahatten, Naruto lets go of the rosette.

"Why don't you come back to my place Sakura, I can explain more there." He suggests, hoping that he hasn't scared her off completely.

"How can I trust you?" She asks, rolling her fingers into clenched fists.

Sakura was irritated. Irritated that the little voice in her head was screaming at her that it's obvious that what Naruto was saying is true. That she should obviously trust him.

Naruto had never given her a reason not to trust him. From the very beginning he was always the better man, the ball of sunshine. She knew, from the moment she had met him, that he never meant her any trouble.

And right now, she knows that deep down Naruto was telling the truth.

"Do you really think I want to hurt you?" He asks softly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his athletic shorts.

Sakura's clenched fists drop.

"No." She replies softly, noting the hurt in his voice.

He was telling the truth, as much as she wanted to deny it and run back to her apartment to Sasuke and pretend this whole conversation never happened, she knew that she wouldn't be able to face the Uchiha properly.

Sasuke lied to her.

Feeling completely shaken, she feels tears rolls out of her eyes.

Not in a million years would she have imagined this.

Before she completely crumbles to the ground and loses herself in her own misery, warm arms wrap around her back and her face is pressed up against his chest.

"I'll protect you Sakura, no matter what." He murmurs into her hair, the warmth of his breath leaving jolts of warmth coursing throughout her body.

Those words cause the rosette to immediately melt into him.

She wraps her arms around him and digs her face into his chest, inhaling his scent of sweet grass and chicken tenders.

He, unlike Sasuke, makes her feel safe. She could never imagine Naruto hurting her; he was too sweet, too innocent. By the look of his eyes and the gentleness he used with her, she knew that he only wanted to keep her safe.

Pushing away from him gently to get a better look at his face, the rosette smiles.

"Thank you Naruto." She says genuinely, a smile breaking out on her features as her stilled tears glisten. The blonde takes it upon himself to gently wipe them off of her face, and with each touch on her cheek leaves a raging trickle of heat.

"Anything for you." He whispers gently, returning the smile before stepping back and stretching his arms.

"Why don't we get going," He looks up to the sky, noticing the dark grey clouds looming overhead.

"Looks like it's going to start raining soon." He mentions, returning his attention back on the rosette.

Sakura nods.

"Lead the way."

They walk in silence.

Turning onto a street that to Sakura looks far to upper class, her phone rings in purse. The high pitch ring tone immediately shakes her out of any thoughts as her body jolts and she rummages through her purse.

Naruto halts in his steps, turning his head to watch her.

Grabbing the phone out of her purse, she stares with widened eyes at the name spread out on the lock screen.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asks, noting that her expression is mixed with shock and fear.

Sakura on the other hand was forcing her heart to stop pumping violently in her chest. Why was it that after all of the information she'd learned about him her heart still reacted this way when she saw his name?

Not receiving an answer, Naruto lifts a brow.

"Sakura, who's calling you?" He presses again.

The rosette swallows hard, almost afraid of saying his name.

The blonde comes closer, about to peek at her screen but Sakura's quick reflexes kick in as she slams the phone against her chest, her breathing heavy as her face flushes.

Naruto clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"It's nothing important." She says, shoving her phone back into her purse as she pushes past him.

She feels a hand grab her wrist as she's whirled around to stare at the darkening face of her companion.

"It was Sasuke wasn't it?" He mutters softly under his breath, his eyes watching the sidewalk.

Her eyes widen.

How did he know?

"How did you…" She begins but he cuts her off.

"Your eyes, they were glowing the second you looked at your screen." He retorts casually, letting go of her wrist and shoving his hands back in his pockets, still not raising his eyes as he walks past her.

Sakura mentally curses herself.

She shouldn't be feeling this way with Sasuke, even after everything she found out about him…why did she still have feelings for him? Why was her heart betraying her mind?

"Naruto I'm sorry." She whispers almost silently, as she continues to walk behind him, her fingers curling into tight fists.

Sakura feels a lump forming in her throat.

She loves them both.

"_You can't love them both!"_

It was a little too late for that.

They fall back into silence.

* * *

xXx

* * *

Naruto had never felt this nervous in his whole entire life. His palms were sweaty beyond belief, his heart was thumping wildly, and his head was spinning.

The whole walk to his loft, Sakura was dead silent. He had sneaked numerous glances her way, the silence sometimes scaring him that she'd walked away, and when he looked over he had wished he hadn't.

Her face was blank, she walked without the usual skip in her step, and her eyes looked bloodshot, totally lifeless.

Sakura looked like a zombie.

It frightened him to see her this way.

But, within the silence the blonde had done some thinking of his own.

Sakura knew everything about her roommate now, and he was still slightly confused as to whether she believed him or was just a little on board.

She acted as if she trusted him, but after receiving an incoming call from Sasuke…well it suggested that perhaps she didn't view him fully as a criminal.

Not that Naruto blamed her; it'd be some getting used to before she did anyways.

For now, the blonde had to go easy on her.

"We're here." He announces, once they reach a slick black door on the top floor of a very expensive apartment complex.

Sakura nods, an awkward expression on her face whatsoever.

Shock, the blonde thinks to himself. That must be it.

He'd seen this before, when someone had been exposed to a lot of astonishing news they'd fall into a coma of silence, the information floating around their brain as they tried to absorb it all.

Sighing, pulls out his keys and unlocks the door.

Inside, the first thing he notices is the sweet scent of pastries, and the odd scene of Gaara in a pure white apron that says _"Kiss the Chef"_ pulling out cookies from the oven while humming.

Did he just walk into a nightmare?

With widened eyes and the tip of his lips curving up, the blonde clears his throat.

Gaara nearly drops the pan of cookies on the floor.

"You're early." Gaara says calmly, immediately reaching for the back of his apron to untie the knot. Once the apron is off, he takes a seat on slick white stool, and folds one leg over the other.

"Did you find anything out from her?" The redhead asks, knitting his brows together as he stares at the blonde.

Naruto swallows hard, stepping to the side to reveal the rosette behind him, who is staring with widened eyes around the flat.

To say that he was rich was an understatement.

Sakura couldn't help but notice the high ceilings, the luxurious furniture, and the astounding view of Manhattan's skyline right in front of her. He had a kitchen, to the right of the door, and right across from the open floor concept kitchen was a living room, with a fluffy zebra printed rug and adorned with leather white couches.

Further along there was a corridor that she was pretty sure led to a bathroom, and write near the living room, attached to the wall was a wide glass staircase leading upstairs to the loft.

How could a soccer coach afford this?! It must have cost a fortune!

"Why is she here?" Gaara's harsh tone snaps the rosette out of her thought bubble, as she blinks her eyes and focuses her attention on the furrow browed redhead.

He looked calm, his features relaxed, but from the tone of his voice she could tell he was irritated.

Naruto sneaks a reassuring smile at her.

"Sakura, why don't you go take a seat on the couch. I'll bring you something warm to drink." Naruto says gently, and she nods silently heading over to the couch, which she sinks into immediately.

_It's so comfy!_

Naruto watches her snuggle into the couch and wrap her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees as she stares at her toes.

Exhaling deeply, he walks over to his superior, who he knows is most likely beyond annoyed.

"Do I have to repeat myself Uzumaki? Why. Is. She. Here?" He snaps sternly, his teal eyes shifting to look at the helpless rosette. She was twirling the blanket (His blanket) with her finger, and a deep crease of thought was forming in between her brows.

Naruto steps in his view of vision, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"She knows." He mutters softly.

.

.

_A brief moment of silence_

.

.

"Excuse us." Gaara barks over to Sakura, who lifts her head up and watches as Naruto follows Gaara out of the apartment.

The door slams shut as they both exit.

"Gaara, listen I can explain." Naruto says hastily, fumbling for the right words as he stares at his companion whose bangs are covering his eyes, and a dark aura vibrates around him.

A shiver runs down his spine.

"Just what the hell were you thinking telling her everything?!" He growls, slamming the blonde against the door roughly, the side of his arm slamming his neck.

Naruto's head hits the door hard, and a groan escapes his lips.

Either Gaara was planning on killing him, or…he was planning on killing him.

"Answer me." He growls lowly, his voice venomous as he stares at the blonde.

If looks could kill, Naruto would be in the grave at this point.

"You're crushing…my…neck." He chokes out weakly with a faint smile, the pressure on his neck loosening after a moment.

Gaara backs off, his arm dropping to his side before he folds them neatly over his chest and stares at him in scrutiny.

Taking a few moments to catch his breath, the blonde straightens up before answering.

Gaara taps his foot impatiently.

"Tell me Uzumaki, what in your right mind got you the idea that telling some civilian about our plan was a good idea?" He snaps, though his voice is sharp he no longer pursues to pound the blonde against the door.

"I didn't tell her everything! I only told her that Sasuke was a criminal and a dangerous man. Don't you think she deserves to be warned about that? She's living with him Gaara." Naruto argues roughly, bawling his fists in slight frustration.

The redhead scoffs.

"I ordered you to get information out of her not the other way around."

The blonde grits his teeth.

"You don't even care if she gets hurt do you?" Naruto asks darkly.

A small moment of silence passes between the two, the blonde staring at his shoes with white knuckles as his nails dig into his palms.

"No." He responds casually, as if refusing to go shopping.

Something in the blonde snaps, and before he can even think, a fist reaches the redhead's nose. A nasty crack echoes, and Gaara's head flings back as fresh blood splatters on the tiled floors.

It's as if everything happens in slow motion before Gaara stumbles back and brings a palm to his bleeding nose.

Panting hard, Naruto drops his fist and his eyes widen once he realizes what he's done.

He just hit his superior, probably the scariest man alive.

Gaara looks up, a clear trail of blood flowing from his slightly bent nose and the menacing look in his teal eyes causes a multitude of shivers to race down the blonde's spine.

He was going to die; Gaara was going to bite of his head then feed it to some homeless man.

With a deathly aura, Gaara snaps his nose back into place. Naruto's whole body shivers. He then takes a handkerchief out of his suit pocket and places it in his nose to catch the blood that's slowly dripping.

Gaara begins advancing towards the blonde, the closer he got the sweatier and more shaken up Naruto becomes.

"G-Gaara listen I wasn't thinking. P-Please." He pleads, shaking his hands in front of his body in distress.

Gaara comes closer and closer, then moves to the side an opens the door back into the loft without a word.

Staring at the door, Naruto exhales a breath he'd been holding and slumps his stressed shoulders. That was a close one.

He inhales sharply through his nose and reaches for the doorknob.

* * *

xXx

* * *

a / n: _I really did enjoy writing this chapter, I hope I captured everyone's emotions well._

_Sorry for the long wait loves, this is quite a lengthy chapter...not gonna lie I'm pretty proud of myself...xDD LOL _

_Please leave a review, I'd love to hear how you guys think the story is going so far! :D I promise the action will be coming soon._

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	12. Chapter 12: Rain

Placing a small plate of Gaara's freshly baked cookies, which much to Naruto's surprise were actually well baked, and a glass of warm milk on the coffee table, the blonde takes a seat on the love seat and watches as Sakura eyes the food with an empty look in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asks gently.

She turns her head to face him, her eyes puffy and red from crying.

"How the hell am I supposed to be okay? My roommate is some lunatic murderer and you're this secret agent that's going to 'take him down.' None of this makes a lick of sense!" She argues, and the blonde sighs heavily.

This was going to be one long night.

"Just who exactly are you Naruto? Why is Sasuke even doing this? I'm so confused." She says, rubbing her temples as she closes her eyes.

She's completely shaken up, her whole entire life has just been flopped upside down, everything taking a drastic change for the worst.

Why her?

"I promise I'll explain everything, it might take a while though…" Naruto trails, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

Sakura only nods her head, feeling determined to get to the bottom of this.

"No, I want to hear everything."

The blonde nods.

"Well it all started…"

.

.

.

_~FLASHBACK (Two years ago)~_

It was a typical Friday.

The rain was coming down gently on the gloomy spring morning, small droplets echoing on the pavement and forming little puddles as Naruto Uzumaki was walking to school, well more like running for his life.

He was late, of course nothing new, and he had forgotten his umbrella at home. He even made himself place it by the door the night before, and it was neon orange; something that wasn't difficult to miss, but he had forgotten it and the second day in a row too.

But, some wet clothes and hair weren't going to bring down his spirits.

Because today his parents were finally coming home from a month long business trip out in Tokyo.

And boy had he missed them, especially his mom's cooking and his dad's lame jokes. The house felt extremely empty without them the only real company he got was from the nice old lady next door who brought over cookies from time to time.

"You're late Uzumaki." His professor snaps grumpily as Naruto bows slightly muttering a halfhearted apology and rushing to take his seat.

Throwing down his soaked bag, and running his hand through his damp locks, the blonde lifts up the bottom of his shirt to wipe his wet face.

A few girls turn his way and stare at him with heart eyes, running their eyes all over his toned body.

"You little attention whore." A classmate, also a close friend, teases, kicking the blonde on the leg playfully.

Naruto only smirks, taking out his notebook.

Class begins.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

It happened so suddenly, the joy and anticipation of a cheerful family reunion suddenly gone in seconds.

It was like some dream, so far away he could barely even see it.

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't breathe.

Couldn't think.

Move.

"Sir, are you alright?" An employee at the ramen stand asks, his eyes fixated with concern as he stares at the blonde's shocked expression.

But, Naruto couldn't open his mouth, couldn't look away from the screen that presented him with images of his parents.

His dead parents.

The news reporter was talking rapidly about a car crash and behind the reporter he recognized his parent's cream white limousine blaring in a raging fire and medics were covering two bodies with sheer white blankets.

And when two names splattered across the screen he just wanted to puke up the delicious ramen he had downed not even seconds ago.

"_**Kushina and Minato Uzumaki dead in tragic car accident."**_

"Sir." The man says once again, his voice snapping the blonde out of his trance.

Naruto looks over at the man and finds that he is holding out a tissue. He brings a finger to his eyes finding his cheeks wet with tears.

He hadn't even realized he'd started crying.

Forcing a small smile he nods in gratitude and takes the tissue, wiping at his eyes as he stands. Slapping some money down on the table he walks slowly, as if in a daze, towards his car.

Stepping outside, the rain hits him hard dampening his spiky golden hair in seconds. He can't even feel the rain, it's as if his body is numb, his mind is numb.

The blonde can't wrap his mind around the idea that his parents, the two most important people in his life, were dead. Gone.

He'd never see his mom again; never see her smile towards him in that loving way that made him feel safe even in the worst situations. Or hear her laugh at one of his sorry excuses for a joke. He'd never be able to taste her cooking again, or go on long walks and just talk with her.

He'd never be able to tackle his dad at another mock football game they'd set up in their backyard, or watch soccer matches until the dead of night. He'd never be able to get his hair ruffled by the man he'd grown to respect the most or earn a heart warming pat on his back for a job well done.

And worst of all,

He would never be able to say goodbye.

Stepping into his car, soaking the seat in seconds, he slams the car door shut and stares blankly at the solid black steering wheel.

He wanted the pain gone, his heart felt as if it failed.

He felt a part of him die.

He drives back to his home, bitter thoughts accompanying him throughout the melancholy ride.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

He tosses his keys on the kitchen counter, and looks around his large home.

He was wealthy, having a home that millions of kids dreamed of.

But now, he didn't even want to be inside of his house. Because he knew that his parents would never be able to walk through this door again.

He walks over to the stove, staring intently at the silver pan, his reflection staring back at him.

His mom would never use this pan again, she'd never stand in this exact spot and cook up pancakes for breakfast. His dad would never sit on one of the island stools, reading his paper while sipping on coffee, and he'd never hear their small playful bickering ever again.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Naruto leans his palms on the kitchen counter, biting his lip as fat tears roll down his pale cheeks.

Why his parents? They were good people, they didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to lose them.

"Why?" He whispers softly, his voice cracking as he slams his fist down on the counter.

"Why?" He says louder, turning on his heel and walking towards the large living room, right across from the kitchen.

He passes a picture of all three of them and stops in his tracks.

It was a large picture, blown up as his mother would like to say, of him as a baby. His mother was holding him; her smile radiant as she looked down at his sleeping form all bundled up in a blue cloth while his father hugged the two of them, laughing from pure joy.

He remembered just how happy she was when she explained that this was taken on the day he was born.

She said it was the greatest day of her life.

His parents bickered playfully afterwards, his father mocking hurt that their wedding came in second. Naruto couldn't help but find it funny.

At any other moment he'd feel completely embarrassed of the photo if he brought his friends over, or a girl, but right now he felt sad.

Without thinking he brushes his finger along his mother's long hair and feels tears roll down his cheeks.

"Why did you leave me?" He whispers softly.

Forcing himself to turn away, he heads up the grand spiral staircase and walks into his oversized bedroom. Immediately he collapses on the large king sized bed, rolling himself up in his neon orange sheets.

And cries himself to sleep.

~xXx~

He hated it.

The forced smiles, the meaningless condolences, the descent of the caskets.

It wouldn't bring his parents back.

Hundreds of people came to the funeral of his parents, and Naruto only really knew a few.

He forced himself to smile, to put on a "good show" for others and be polite. But, in reality all he wanted to do was runaway and hide out in his room with a box of tissues.

He didn't want people to feel sorry for him and he hated all of those pitiful eyes on him.

It made him feel like this was all really happening.

He didn't want to believe this was true.

That his parents were actually lifeless bodies buried six feet under the ground at some infamous cemetery.

After the funeral, Naruto fell into depression.

Alcohol became his best friend.

It weakened the pain, numbed his mind from torturous thoughts, it made him feel alive if even only for a moment.

His godfather paid him a few visits, really only slapping some money down on the table and giving him a half hearted lecture on alcohol abuse.

Naruto never listened.

In a sense the blonde was thankful for his godfather's lack of care, but when he heard the door slam shut a part of him shattered.

No one cared anymore.

He could probably go jump out of a window and no one would care.

That is until one snowy evening later that year in mid December.

Naruto was sober for a change, flipping through movies on his large plasma screen T.V when the loud ring of his doorbell caused him to jump on his place in the couch.

It was already past eight, and his first instinct was to not answer the door. So he just shrugged and continued surfing through the channels.

But, the doorbell rang again.

He furrows his brows before reluctantly getting up and heading over to the front door.

"Who is it?" He asks, grabbing a broomstick leaning up against the wall near the coat closet just in case he'd have to take down some stalker or whatever.

A low and husky voice comes from the other side.

"I'm a friend of your parents, I mean no harm." He replies smoothly, and the blonde swears the voice is somewhat familiar.

After a small debate in his sub consciousness, the blonde decides to open the door.

He takes a good look at his unexpected visitor.

He's wearing a slick, custom designed fitted black suit with a blood red tie, which matches his blood red hair. His bangs hang a little low, and his hands are shoved in his pockets.

His eyes are a sharp teal color, and if Naruto didn't know any better he'd say the guy has a rim of eyeliner circling around his eyes. Not to mention he was missing a pair of eyebrows.

He looks intimidating and the blonde suddenly has second thoughts about opening the door.

He extends a deathly white pale hand.

"Gaara."

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

Seated at the kitchen counter with the lights dimmed Naruto gaped at the redhead seated across from him.

"You're telling me my parent's death was a set up?" He asks, his blue eyes widened and his mouth hanging open from disbelief.

So his parents were…murdered?

"From our Intel, yes." He responds, a tight grim line forming on his lips.

Naruto shakes his head in denial.

"No that can't be true. My parents didn't have any enemies." He argues, feeling his mind swirling and his dry throat suddenly begging for some alcohol.

He wanted the pain gone.

Now.

"We don't have any definite answers yet, but we founds some clues that indicate this was set up."

A sharp glint flashes through his teal eyes.

"And your parents didn't have enemies,"

Naruto's shoulders relax, exhaling a breath he'd been holding.

He knew it, his parents were good people.

"They had an _enemy_."

His body tenses immediately, a shiver running down his spine.

"Who?" He asks quietly, feeling his bones shaking and a trail of goose bumps sprouting on his arms.

"Uchiha Corporations. Another large business corporation here in the states that's been rivaling with your parent's company for years now." He states simply, watching as Naruto takes in the information slowly.

"So they died all because of some rivalry?" He asks loudly, his voice tinged with spite.

His parents, the two kindest people to walk this earth, died because of some stupid rivalry over money?

Was this some kind of sick delusional joke?

Gaara hesitates before nodding his head slowly.

"Seems like it." He responds calmly, his cool composure remaining stoic.

Something in the blonde snaps, and without thinking rationally he stands up sharply, storming over to the other side of the counter and grabbing Gaara tightly by the collar.

The redhead remains unfazed.

"Aren't you their bodyguard or something? Why didn't you stop this attack? You just liked to watch them die? Huh?" He shouts, spitting in Gaara's face as his icy blue eyes bore into his. His grip on his collar tightens and any other man would be choking, suffocating perhaps, but not Gaara.

His features remain completely passive, but when he speaks his voice is hard, tinged with hurt.

He effortlessly grabs the blonde's wrist shoving him off of him. Naruto stumbles back a little.

"You really think I would just watch them die? Don't you dare mock me, brat. Don't think that you're the only one that cared about them." He spits, his words coming out like fire.

Naruto's eyes widen significantly and he scoffs, trying to play it off.

So, he was just as hurt over his parent's death as him. He can see it in his eyes, as hard as Gaara tries to hide it.

Gaara exhales loudly, straightening his collar with his hands before taking a seat back on the stool.

"Sit down and listen I don't have the patience right now to deal with a rich spoiled imp." He snaps, agitation evident in his voice.

"I-"

"Sit." He commands deathly, leaving no room for argument.

Naruto swallows hard, following his orders and taking a seat across from him.

"Because your parents are now gone, and from what I know, you've been wasting the little money your godfather has been giving you on alcohol and instant ramen,"

Naruto opens his mouth to argue, but the threatening look in Gaara's eyes causes him to shut up.

"And you've dropped out of college, there is no future for you, correct?" He asks, not really like a question but more like a statement.

Naruto nods slowly, realizing that he's an utter disappointment.

How would his parents react if they found out what he's been doing? Using their money to live such a miserable life.

He feels his stomach churn violently.

He's pathetic.

"Yeah…" He agrees quietly, suddenly feeling ashamed.

Gaara nods.

"Do you plan to carry on your parent's legacy? In the next few months I can be your superior, teaching you exactly what your parents would want you to be doing."

The blonde tilts his head, unsure of what Gaara is getting at.

"What do you mean?"

The redhead smirks.

"We want you in the Alliance."

.

.

.

"The what?"

~xXx~

~_PRESENT TIME~ (2 AM)_

"And from then on I've been working as a member of this organization for my parent's company." Naruto says quietly, his heart slowly sinking as the memories of that day flood back in.

Sakura stays quiet for what seems like an eternity, her eyes becoming wet.

"I'm so sorry Naruto, that must have been so hard for you." She sympathizes, her eyes turning warm and soft.

Naruto swallows thickly, forcing a small smile.

For anyone else he'd probably just avoid the topic, to be honest, he hadn't spoken of his parent's death to anyone for years. Bringing it back up made him feel unbearably sad and broken but for some reason he wanted to be strong for Sakura, he wanted to show her that he was a better man.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago." He brushes it off, not wanting to stay on the subject any longer.

Sakura nods.

"I still don't understand one thing."

She purses her lips, waiting a little before speaking.

"I know that the Uchiha Corporation killed your parents and that's absolutely unacceptable and horrible but…why do you have to you know take them down? Why are the two of you such rivals?" Sakura asks hesitantly.

Naruto licks his lips in thought.

"Well killing my parents really set me off for hating them, but even before that they had a fortune and they make so much money because deep down hidden in the roots of their corporation lie a secret group of agents, much like us but darker, called the _Akatsuki._ They work in the black market, smuggling drugs from other countries in order to make and boost partnerships amongst other corporations, allowing them to make a larger profit through networking. In simpler terms, this means that Akatsuki has a _lot_ of backup.

What they're doing is illegal, and once my parents noticed this…well they took matters in their own hands by hiring professionals, like Gaara and I, to try and stop them. They're hindering the country with this work, and now their expanding their empire throughout the world, meaning that they'll not only worsen the economy in this country, but other's as well. We've been trying to stop them for the greater good, but it's been rough."

Sakura's eyes widen, feeling a trail of goose bumps running down her arms. She pulls the blanket tighter around herself.

"And Sasuke is a part of this group…" She trails, inhaling deeply to try and calm down.

Naruto nods, biting his lip.

"At first we though Itachi, Sasuke's brother, might be the leader…but Sasuke killed him. Ever since the scene, we kept a close eye on Sasuke and recorded his actions and partaking's, all this data accumulated proved to us that, well…we believe he might be their leader."

And it's like a bomb has been dropped in the room.

"So he's the leader of illegal drug smugglers?" Sakura asks, the whole sentence giving her some sort of hysteria as she begins to laugh a little mad like.

Naruto looks at her with concern.

"Yes Sakura, I'm telling you the truth and you need to know that he's dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." He says firmly, staring at her with concerned blue eyes.

Sakura stops laughing and swallows hard as realization hits her.

Sasuke really is a bad guy… no, he's _the _bad guy.

"What are you going to do to him?" She asks softly, her voice coming out a little shaky.

"Imprison him most likely." Naruto answers, although he's not entirely sure if Gaara would rather kill him on the spot.

But, rather not stress Sakura out, she's had enough for one day.

Sakura nods slowly, taking in the information.

"We still need to figure out what he's doing here though, that's why I was kind of wondering if you know anything…I mean you've been living with him."

Sakura thinks about it, tilting her head to try and figure out if she's seen anything suspicious.

When something clicks.

"Well there was one thing…" She begins and Naruto's eyes widen in eagerness.

"Seriously? What is it?" He asks, clearly a tad giddy. It's been so long since he got any leads.

And then before Sakura can hesitate and think about if she should really be getting involved in all of this she spills the information.

"I sneaked a glance at his laptop screen while he was cooking breakfast and saw an email with the title of an import of Vertigo." She says, biting her lip as she watches Naruto's face fall significantly.

"He must be meeting with some members from other countries to try and get an import of Vertigo to the states." Naruto murmurs under his breath, rubbing his temples.

"What is Vertigo?" Sakura asks.

"An illegal drug, it's addictive and it makes you have hallucinations. Really bad." Naruto summarizes.

The rosette nods.

She sucks in breath hoping that she can suck up her tears. Knowing that Sasuke was part of some weird ghetto organization was a huge shock but now that he's the leader and worst of all smuggling drugs? It was just…too much.

"I think I need a break, from all of this." Sakura says suddenly, her mind swirling yet again.

Naruto snaps out of his trance of trying to figure out the situation of Sasuke and suddenly his eyes soften.

"Of course, you can stay the night. Sleep up in the loft, the bed is super comfy." He says, smiling towards her warmly.

Sakura nods, returning the smile.

"Thank you Naruto, for everything." She says, and it causes the blonde's heart to flutter.

"Of course." He says standing, and before Sakura can stand up as well, she's scooped off of the couch by two strong arms and her face is pressed against a warm chest.

"Naruto, what are you doing..?" She whispers, eyes widening as she realizes he just picked her up and is now carrying her up the glass stairs.

"Carrying you up the stairs…what does it look like?" He jokes, a boyish grin spreading on his lips and Sakura can't help but laugh.

"Idiot…" She murmurs, but smiles nonetheless.

Smile, that was the last thing she thought she'd be doing after this crazy day.

And yet somehow, this weird, handsome, blonde secret agent was able to make her do just that.

Placing her gently on the bed, Naruto heads over to his dresser and picks out some boxers and an oversized black tshirt.

He tosses them to her.

"You can wear this if you want, it'll be comfier than what you're wearing."

Sakura eyes his clothes, feeling her cheeks flare up.

"T-Thanks." She stammers, retreating to the bathroom and feeling Naruto's gaze on her up until the door shuts.

After changing and finding out that indeed these clothes were far comfier than anything she's ever worn, the rosette steps out of the bathroom and finds Naruto sitting in the desk chair, typing away on the laptop.

He stops typing and spins around in his chair once he hears the door open.

And when he does he can't help but widen his blue eyes.

Sakura, he had to admit, looked hot in his clothes. Just seeing her wear them caused a weird feeling to explode in the pit of his stomach.

_What am I thinking? This is not the time._

"Um, well this is awkward." Sakura retorts lamely, scurrying to the bed before hopping in and pulling the covers all the way to her chin.

Naruto laughs sheepishly.

"You look fine, just a tad baggy, but fine." He assures her, shutting his laptop and walking over to where she was lying on the bed.

He looks down at her, unable to unglue his eyes from her flawless face.

She was one adorable woman.

Probably the prettiest he's ever seen.

And he felt terrible for dragging her into this mess, like he'd committed some sort of crime.

"Hey, don't give me that look. I'll be okay, I just need…time." She assures him softly.

Naruto nods.

"Get some rest." The blonde tells her, a small smile on his lips.

Sakura nods.

"Goodnight Naruto."

The blonde claps twice, the lights shut off.

"Goodnight Sakura."

And the last thing she feels are a pair of warm lips on her forehead and the soft sound of footsteps descending down the stairs.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A / N: **I hope you guys enjoy this lengthy chapter 'cause holy moly I worked my butt off for it! I'm in a rush, uploading this before class starts any minute so I can't say much.

BUT I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT ON THIS STORY! THANK YOU!

Let me know what you think of this chapter. :D

Until next chapter, toodles~


	13. Chapter 13: Flapjacks

**A / N: This chapter was a real blast to write you guys! I think I enjoyed myself way too much with the amount of fluff thrown into this. But, I figured since last chapter was really hot and heavy with sorrow and angst, this chapter should be light. Please do enjoy reading :D**

* * *

She had barely gotten a wink of sleep that night, rolling and turning in the silky sheets as her mind swirled with "what ifs". But, somewhere around the time of 4 am, Sakura Haruno finally shut her heavy lids and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Waking up the next morning, her lids fluttered open as the rays of sunshine poured onto her bed, her pink hair looking brighter.

She stares up at the ceiling, feeling a little confused at the change of scenery, and then all of the memories of the night before come flooding back.

She sighs, feeling her own heart drop.

Something beside her groans, and then before she can look over a large and moist hand lands on her exposed thigh.

Staring at the hand as if it were some alien, the rosette looks over to bump noses with none other than…GAARA?!

"WAHHH!" She shrieks in fright and embarrassment, rolling away and finding her self-meeting the hardwood floor.

She shoots up, her hair sticking in every direction, ignoring the small pain on her rear end, and glares daggers at the redhead.

"W-What are you d-doing in my b-bed?!" She stammers, cheeks flooding in a wild crimson color.

Gaara's teal eyes open lazily, and a small smirk resides on his lips.

"Last night was wild." He says, his voice husky and sending shivers down the rosette's spine.

WHAT DID SHE DO LAST NIGHT?!

She blushes wildly and backs up a little bit. Gaara takes this opportunity to pounce to the edge of the bed to get closer to the rosette.

"You rocked my world." He says seductively as he makes a point by licking his lips. He extends his muscular hand towards her face delicately and brushes his thumb over her lips.

Sakura's too stunned to move, her body frozen in confusion, embarrassment…and curiosity.

Loud and stumpy footsteps race up the stairs and a completely disheveled blonde, with a shirt that's inside out and messy blonde hair, stops at the top of the stairs and stares at the sight.

"What's going on? Sakura are you alright?" He asks, his eyes glued to the rosette who's face is just a tad too close to the redhead for Naruto's liking.

Naruto's eyes trail over to his roommate, who is now lying with an elbow propped up against the pillow and the side of his head resting on his palm.

Gaara gives Naruto a devilish smirk.

"Hey there."

The blonde's jaw drops.

"You know, she's a keeper Naruto. Wild in bed." He remarks, biting back a laugh as his roommate's ears turn a deep shade of red and his blue eyes widen.

Sakura watches the scene unfold with interest.

The blonde clenches his fist, his jaw tightening as a menacing aura resounds around him.

Sakura only prays that he clobbers the life out of Gaara.

And then when a large goofy smile breaks out on his features Sakura's only reaction is,

"Eh?"

"Gaara, you're an idiot." He retorts, walking over to him and grabbing a pillow, which he pursues to slam in the smirking redhead's face.

"Wild I tell you!" He jokes, chuckling as Naruto continues to pelt his face with pillows. Gaara, laughing and lying helplessly on his back begins to lightly kick Naruto to cut it out, which only makes the blonde pelt him harder, a goofy grin on his face as he does so.

It's cute, is what Sakura finally decides. Naruto, in his neon orange tee shirt and white noodle boxer short pj's, attacking a shirtless Gaara who only has a pair of black boxers on. Oh gosh, what will this look like when she tells Tenten!

Still daydreaming, the pinkette doesn't notice a pillow being thrown right her way.

"Ek!" She defends herself by shielding herself with her petite hands.

The pillow falls to the floor and Sakura opens her eyes to see the two of them still going at it, laughing boyish laughs that cause her to smile.

She bends down, picking up the fluffy pillow and deciding to join in on the fun, chucks it at the both of them. It successfully hits the back of Naruto's blonde head, and he halts in his antics with Gaara.

She watches as he shares a wild grin with Gaara before letting go of the redhead's shoulders and standing up. She gulps, noticing the devilish and crazy flare in his deep blue eyes.

"Hitting on me already Sakura-chan?" He teases, his lips parted in a devilish smirk as he opens up his arms and scoops up the rosette, her squeals filling up the room.

He tosses her over his shoulder playfully and she giggles as he spins her around before tackling her to the bed.

"N-Naruto stop!" She laughs hysterically, her stomach hurting as she rests on the bed, the blonde tickling her toes.

Naruto feels his cheeks heat up, watching Sakura laugh. Her smile was beautiful, and the way she looked in his shirt and short boxers caused his insides to flip and his heart to thump wildly in his chest.

His admiring of Sakura is cut short when a pillow hits the side of his head and he falls back onto the bed.

"Thanks for that distraction pinky." Gaara says, belly flopping on top of both of them, feathers flying everywhere out of the huge pillows making a rain shower of fluffy white.

.

.

.

The sweet scent of blueberry pancakes fills the loft causing Sakura's stomach to lightly grumble.

She was indeed starving; the last time her stomach had been greeted with a meal was yesterday when she barely nibbled on her chicken fingers.

Yesterday.

It all seemed like some kind of a nightmare to the rosette. But, when she woke up this morning and the events of the day before came flooding back she knew that it all was a reality.

After the morning's wild events Gaara spilt cranberry juice all over his white shirt while drinking it out of the carton, Sakura mentally fist pumped the air thanking karma, and was now in the shower.

"Those smell great." Sakura says, taking a seat at one of the white stools of the kitchen counter. She leans her chin on her palms as she watches the blonde cook.

Her heart fluttered slightly as she realized her own predicament.

Sakura was currently seated at a kitchen counter of male, not to mention a hot one, while wearing _his_ t-shirt and boxers, which she had slept in.

It was like being a couple.

And not to mention her mind was burning with the soft feeling of Naruto's soft lips on her forehead the other night.

"Sakura are you alright? You're turning red." Naruto says, spatula in hand as he tilts his head to scrutinize the glowing rosette.

Her cheeks only darken at his comment.

"I-It's just a little hot in here, is all." She stammers, averting her eyes from him as his blonde messy hair was tempting her to just get up and run her fingers through the tangled locks.

_What are you thinking Sakura?!_

He smirks devilishly.

"I think what you mean to say is _I'm_ hot." He retorts cockily, turning back around to flip the pancake.

Sakura feels her cheeks burn.

_That idiot !_

"You two make me want to drink acid." Gaara says casually, strolling into the kitchen with a white towel draped over his shoulders and a bare chest, sporty black shorts the only thing on his body.

Sakura squeals, half covering her eyes with her palms, almost falling off of the stool.

"Oh please, we slept together and you're _still_ not used to seeing me like this?" he teases. His look then becomes serious as he eyes her up and down and bluntly stares at her.

Sakura shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. Naruto clears his throat, shooting the redhead a pointed look to cut it out.

Gaara rolls his eyes.

"Come with me." Gaara motions her to stand up and follow him.

Naruto eyes Gaara suspiciously but doesn't say a word, instead goes back to flipping the flapjacks.

Gaara leads Sakura through the hall; all while Sakura looks intensely at his back, boy do those muscles look good.

"I bet you'd want to freshen up," he says, stopping in front of the bathroom.

Sakura's eyes widen upon entering the bathroom, or should she say spa. Double sinks, sauna, rain showerhead, jacuzzi, and towel warmers! Maybe she should also become a secret agent.

"There's some female appropriate clothing in one of the drawers under the sink, you can choose as you please." The redhead states outside the bathroom, facing the opposite way to give Sakura her privacy.

"Also breakfast will be ready in 30 minutes…more or less." He says, closing the door, leaving the pinkette alone to treat herself.

And treat herself she does.

.

.

.

Gaara reenters the kitchen, a form fitting black shirt covering his chest.

"Ah, look who decided to put on a shirt." Naruto teases, placing three plates on the kitchen counter before going back and peeling some oranges.

Gaara waves him off.

"You should go freshen up too, you don't want to smell like a skunk. Besides, this will be a pretty informative breakfast I want to explain the plan I formulated last night." He says, walking over and grabbing the spatula to make scrambled eggs.

"You're involving Sakura in this?" He asks cautiously, his body tensing.

Gaara sighs.

"Like you said, she's already too far deep in all of this not to be involved." He shrugs, cracking an egg over the pan.

Naruto nods slowly.

"Now go, I'll take over." He says, shoving the blonde a little.

He nods, heading down the hall, too lazy to head up the stairs.

Involve Sakura in this mess…just what was Gaara's plan? His curiosity was really getting the best of him.

He wouldn't put her in danger…would he?

Shaking his head, he absentmindedly opens the door waling into the bathroom and grabs a tshirt and some pants from the closet.

With that in hand, he tosses it at the foot of the shower and grabs the ends of his shirt, ready to peel it off.

.

.

.

"Oh my gosh." A very hushed voice says, complete shock evident in the small voice.

A sharp shivers runs down the blonde's spine and he slowly turns his head around, hands still clutching onto his shirt.

His vision sets on a head, resting above a mountain of bubblegum pink bubbles in a steamy bubble bath.

"Oh my gosh." The words just fall out of his mouth in a hushed manner, mirroring the voice that just spoke.

A split second later and his hands fling to his eyes, shielding his vision, as Sakura screams at the top of her lungs.

He books it, with no vision whatsoever, and his face meets the hard tile of the walls as he falls backwards. Sakura's screaming does not help his panic at all.

He scrambles back onto his feet and after two more failed attempts finally reaches the door. Ripping it open he runs out, shuts it, and leans against it breathing heavily. He grips his sweaty head with shaky hands as a feeling of warmth erupts in the pit of his stomach.

Somewhere within the kitchen a redhead smirks.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

Pulling a chair so that he's seated across the counter from Sakura and Naruto, Gaara takes a long sip of his mimosa and gives both of them a long hard stare.

Sakura looks at all the food the two had made. A stack of pancakes sat across from her, following a plate full of eggs, both scrambled and hard-boiled. A plate full of bacon sat to the left of her, and there was an adorable arrangement of fruits right smack in the center of the table. They even managed to pull off a floral arrangement of tulips!

Sakura's mouth waters as she pulls at the ends of the bright yellow floral dress that she had found in the drawer. Why Gaara had women's clothing in his bathroom? She didn't ask.

Gaara clears his throat.

"Bon Appetit."

The three begin eating.

Sakura must admit, it's been ages since she's had a homemade breakfast with company, well minus the small meals Sasuke prepared.

She digs into the pancakes first, sprinkling them with blue berries and strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. The first bite tastes like heaven, and she really couldn't believe that Naruto had prepared them from scratch.

"Looks like someone likes pancakes." Naruto smirks as he watches Sakura literally stuff her face.

A light pink blush sets on Sakura's cheeks as she realizes that she was completely pigging out, and she drops the fork and knife on the plate and takes a napkin to dap her mouth in the most formal manner she knows.

Naruto lets out a toothy laugh while Gaara takes another heaping of eggs.

"So, pancakes of waffles? Which one do you prefer?" Naruto teases.

"Humm..I like both." Sakura replies, picking up her fork up and going after the pancakes again.

Gaara props his elbow on the table and points to Sakura with a fork, deciding to join the conversation. "You've got to choose."

"You guys are _very_ serious about your breakfast foods." Sakura laughs as both men look slightly embarrassed.

"We're agents, we take everything seriously." Gaara states lazily in his defense.

Sakura's laugh quickly dies out and she looks at her plate of food.

Silence joins the breakfast table.

"So, Sakura, how are you feeling about all…this." Naruto asks carefully, motioning around with his fork between him and Gaara.

The rosette swallows her food before answering.

"Still kind of hoping this is all some kind of a dream," She chuckles bitterly, staring at the plate of food, "But, I…I'll be okay." She says firmly, her eyes sneaking a glance at Naruto who is looking at her with gentle concern.

Gaara's lifts a brow towards the two.

"We won't let anything happen to you Sakura," The blonde says gently, reaching over and placing his large hand over hers.

"But we don't guarantee it." Gaara adds.

She nods, swallowing a large lump that's been forming in her throat.

Sakura wouldn't admit it in front of the two men, but her mind has been on Sasuke ever since she woke up. She's tried so hard to push him to the back of her mind…but she can't.

He still has a place in her heart.

A vibration is heard, snapping the three out of their thoughts.

Gaara reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a bright sparkly cased phone.

Sakura's eyes widen.

"W-where did you get that?!" Sakura asks stunned that the redhead had the nerve to look through her things. She trusts them, shouldn't they return the favor and trust her?

Naruto lets go of Sakura's hand and folds his hands in his lap.

"Seven texts and two missed calls since last night…pardon me for asking, but just what is your relationship with him." Gaara states calmy with a serious undertone, intertwining his fingers together as he slides the cellphone across the counter to Sakura.

She hastily grabs it with shaky fingers and stares at the name.

Guilt washes over her. She completely forgot to tell him that she wasn't coming home, how worried he must've been!

Gaara scoffs.

"Don't tell me you're actually worried about him?"

Sakura feels even guiltier.

She opens her to speak and then quickly shuts it. After everything they've told her practically laid their trust out for her, she doesn't want to mess up and accidentally say something wrong.

After a moment's hesitation she looks up at Naruto and meets his deep blue eyes,

"What should I do?"

Naruto sighs, running a hand down his face in thought.

"We have a plan." He begins, looking over at his superior who nods before returning his gaze back towards the rosette.

Sakura tilts her head in confusion at both of them.

"And it involves you."

* * *

**A / N: Nothing much more to say! Please do leave a review, I would LOVE to hear how you guys think the story is going so far! **

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	14. Chapter 14: Slow Dance

Standing before her teal apartment door Sakura hesitantly reaches for the door knob but jerks her hand back for the umpteenth time.

She groans at what a wimp she is.

Once that door was open she'd have to face...him.

The two faced, lying, brilliantly handsome, dark eyed Uchiha.

Her feelings on him were still a mystery to herself. To say her heart was confused was an understatement.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose in hopes of calming herself down the rosette inhales sharply, shaking her arms to relax her shoulders.

"Stop being so pathetic Sakura, you can do this." She reassures herself, staring down at the slightly rusty doorknob.

Finally, with a spark of determination in her eyes, she forcefully reaches for the doorknob and ever so slowly opens the door, which creaks in a horror like fashion.

What she sees sends a shiver down her spine.

She's not used to how the apartment looks with the shades covering the windows causing a dark and shady aura. It was only noon, yet it looked liked twilight.

The place smelled of left over Chinese food, and there were sweats draped over the futon.

She reaches for the light switch by the door and flicks on the lights.

No Sasuke to be found.

"Hello?" She squeaks timidly, taking her white wedges off and surveying the living/kitchen area very slowly.

Finding no trail of him in the said area, she maneuvers towards the bedroom door, and just as she's about to touch the knob the door flings open revealing none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

His dark eyes widen as he stares down at the rosette who has a wide pair of eyes of her own.

He's dressed in a slick black form fitting suit, that she couldn't help but notice suited him very well, and his hair was slightly combed making him look the part of a professional buisnessman.

But, tired lavender bags curve under his prominent eyes and his posture is slouched.

"Sakura." His voice soft in shock.

Sakura's breath hitches in her throat.

"Where the hell have you been all night? You didn't respond to any of my texts or calls?" He says annoyed, taking a step forward.

Sakura bites the inside of her cheek and takes a cautious step back.

"I was out with friends." She hesitates the lie, not daring to meet his eyes.

He scoffs.

"Aren't you a great liar with that men's cologne sticking to your clothes." He smirks devilishly knowing that he's caught her in the act.

Sakura's heart beats even faster as she begins to panic.

It hasn't even been 5 minutes and he's already onto her.

"And this dress? You weren't wearing this when you left the house." He says with more curiosity than anger. He lifts a brow as she fumbles with her words.

"I...I..erm..."

Sasuke lets out a loud breath and his hard eyes soften. He's made her nervous, not something he was intending to do.

"Sorry I probably came off mad just now, but where the hell have you been?" He asks with a genuine expression.

Sakura has yet to find a good excuse.

He continues.

"I left you a ton of messages and you didn't pick up any of my calls. I was worried sick that something happened to you." He says, his deep voice laced with care and concern.

His smooth melodic voice causes Sakura's heart to squeeze inside of her own chest.

Why did he have this strong of an affect on her?! She feels completely horrible for lying to him now seeing just how awfully she'd worried him.

But, being honest could get her killed. Literally.

"I'm sorry I wasn't ignoring you but I went out with a friend and then we stayed at her place and she lives with her boyfriend so maybe this morning I accidentally put on his cologne not my perfume I don't know we stayed up late and I was tired..." She trails, trying her hardest to sound convincing.

Sasuke purses his lips before nodding slowly.

"I'm just glad you're ok." He finally says, the sentence causing the rosette's heart to continue violently beating against her rib cage.

"Sasuke-" She begins, but is cut off when a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her petite body, hands landing on her small waist. A nose is buried in the crook of her neck and jolts of electricity spark throughout her whole entire body.

"W-What are you d-doing?" She stammers, completely paralyzed by the proximity of their bodies and the way his hands caused her whole entire body to tingle in pleasure.

Why did this feel so right to her?!

"I thought you were hurt," his fingers rub small gentle circles against her waist,"Don't do that to me again Sakura, please." His voice is small, and the rosette practically melts at just how vulnerable and helpless he's acting.

Sakura is speechless, Sasuke...cares about her? She realizes that she has the upper hand.

She makes him act this way. He's vulnerable and worried and broken down because of her.

Sakura has power over Sasuke Uchiha.

Oh how the tables have turned.

Reluctantly she forces herself to pull away from him, even though she more than enjoyed the embrace.

She can't fall into his trap, he's a criminal not Prince Charming.

The rosette stares pass him pretending not to notice the light blush on his pale cheeks and that's when she spots a packed black suitcase lying on the floor.

"Packing?" Sakura asks curiously lifting a brow.

Sasuke seems to snap out of his fantasy land and brought back down to earth as he clears his throat and nods.

"I didn't get the chance to tell you but yesterday I got a call from work and I have to leave in tonight." He says rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as Sakura's eyes widen.

"Well this is sudden."

Sasuke breathes out loudly and nods.

"I'm sorry Sakura, how can I make it up to you?" He apologizes, his eyes sad as he looks at her.

Once again her heart squeezes.

"Well, do you know the best way to apologize to a girl?" She asks in a teasing manner.

Sasuke decides to play along, although slightly nervous.

"How?" He asks afraid of what the pinkette might come up with.

She turns around and opens her arms wide, revealing the mess behind her.

"Cleaning!"

She smirks as his expression falls.

.

.

.

"You look sad." She teases, hanging upside down on the couch as she watches Sasuke grumpily scrubbing dishes in the kitchen.

Sasuke snorts.

"Why would you say such a thing Sakura?" He asks sarcastically, grabbing another dish and scrubbing it down.

Sakura giggles to herself.

"Pink looks very manly on you." She says eyeing the apron on him.

"Shut up."

"I'm serious it brings out your muscles."

Wait.

Did she just say that?

Crap.

He turns off the sink and turns around with the most devilish smirk she's ever seen plastered across his handsome face.

"So you like a man with muscle huh?"

Sakura's cheeks turn the color of a cherry.

"I didn't s-say that!" She squeaks feeling completely embarrassed.

Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully.

"Mhmmm and I also didn't say that your choice of lace underwear happens to be one of my favorites." He says smugly, turning back around to continue scrubbing away.

Confused at his words, she looks over to what he might be talking about when indeed she realizes that due to her upside down position on the couch her dress has completely gone up revealing creamy lace underwear.

Sakura could die right then and there.

"OH MY GOSH." She screams loudly, whirling around on the couch in an attempt to sit upright but failing as she lands flat on her face on the floor.

Scrambling to stand she finally is up on her feet and in rapid speeds irons down her dress so that it covers her under garment.

Feeling her face reaching temperatures that could easily compare with that of a volcano, Sakura storms over to the bedroom and loudly announces that she is going to change.

The last thing she hears as the door shuts is Sasuke's laughter.

Once the door is closed she slumps against it.

"At least he thought it was cute...right?"

.

.

.

Once the rosette was all changed up in a pair of denim jeans and a light blue tight long sleeve shirt, she takes a good look in the mirror and fixes her short cherry blossom colored hair.

After she's finished checking herself out in the mirror, the rosette glances around the room looking for the prized object. (As Naruto and Gaara called it.)

Walking over to the Uchiha's suitcase she digs her hand into it, trying her hardest not to mess up the neatly folded clothes.

Her hand hits something hard.

"Gotcha!" She whispers eagerly to herself, pulling out the hard object which reveals to be a midnight black laptop.

Carefully, Sakura makes sure to place the laptop on the bed before racing towards the door and locking it. Once the lock clicks into place the rosette knows it's now or never.

Plopping down on the bed, she reaches for her purse and shakily pulls out a bright orange USB stick.

The rush of adrenaline coursing throughout her body is unreal. Never had she felt so sneaky, so alive!

Taking a deep breath, she stares at the USB and at the closed laptop.

Guilt slowly settles into her chest.

Should she really be doing this? This single contraption, this bright orange USB could ruin Sasuke's whole entire life.

Sakura had never had this much power in her hands before. And she didn't want it now that she had obtained it.

Sasuke...a criminal or not he was just Sasuke to her. The high school boy she followed around with heart eyes and fantasized about.

He's not a criminal...he didn't even act like one towards her...

No! Sakura what are you thinking?!

Shaking her head from her thoughts, the rosette holds her breath and opens the laptop slowly, as if opening a treasure chest.

A metallic grey lock screen lights up on the screen asking for a password and giving the time.

Still holding her breath, the rosette shakily brings the USB towards the slot and hesitantly drives it into the slot.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun." She whispers softly, feeling her heart weigh down in her chest.

Why was she still feeling sorry for him? She knew all the facts and yet still...still she had feelings for him.

Suddenly, the computer screen switches off and then back on revealing his desktop screen, where a load icon pops up and the download process begins.

Sakura sighs.

The screen flashes codes only an agent would understand, and the process is slower than Sakura expected.

The rosette takes a deep, calming breath to ease her nerves a little. She decided to put on some makeup so that Sasuke won't suspect how long it's taking her to get ready.

Walking up to her makeup drawer, the rosette looks at the bags under her eyes from last night's stress. Tossing the thought aside, she applies concealer, mascara, and finally some blush to cover how tired she looks.

"Sakura?" She hears Sasuke's voice from the other side of the door. The pinkette jolts and accidentally drops the tube of mascara.

She frantically rushes to the USB stick and pulls it out, her breath heaving from anxiety.

"Everything alright in there?" He asks worriedly, and Sakura feels the anxiety course through her body.

"I-I'm fine! Just give me another minute." She says, clutching the USB tightly as she quietly shuts the laptop and quickly makes her way over to the opened suitcase.

She hears Sasuke grunt an "okay" before his footsteps are heard walking away from the door.

Sakura lets out a long breath of relief.

That was too close for comfort.

Quickly she slips the laptop back into the suitcase and zips it shut.

Collapsing on top of the laptop, she breathes out a long and tired breath.

"This is too stressful."

.

.

.

By the time 4pm rolls around, Sakura had successfully cleaned every inch of her apartment and now standing in the living room staring at her her clear space, feeling beyond satisfied.

With some nice music playing in the background and the fresh scent of a clean apartment Sakura deemed herself worthy pats on the back.

Sasuke had announced about two hours ago that he had an important buisness meeting to attend to and would be home for dinner, so out of boredom the rosette cleaned.

She debated on whether or not going to deliver the USB to the two agents, but she decided against it once she opened a cabinet drawer in her kitchen and saw a colossal bug that looked like it could eat her alive.

She valued her own life and a sanitary living space more than the information on the USB.

Wiping her salty brow, the rosette rolls up the white sleeves of her button up and strips of the pink apron, and is about to toss it on the couch when she sees a critter crawling along the kitchen table she spent about 20 minutes cleaning.

"H-HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!" She yells across the room, wiping on her apron and tying a tight knot in a very swift fashion.

No way was she going to let this stupid bug live in her apartment like some V.I.P guest.

Just who did he think he is?!

Grabbing one of Sasuke's large black shoes she stalks over to the critter, and with fire in her eyes and a menacing giggle she towers over her victim.

"I got you now!" She yells, like some evil empress that's about to slaughter a village of hundreds.

Mere centimeters from destroying this bug's hopes and dreams, the door clicks open.

"Sakura, what are you doing with my shoe?" A masculine voice asks, pure confusion lacing his voice.

Sakura freezes, shivers running up and down her body.

Quickly she stands up straight and hides the shoe behind her back, nervous sweat trailing down her face.

"N-Nothing! I was just going to...erm...kill this...bug?" She says nervously, her eyes motioning to the large bug on the counter. (Which is happily rejoicing that it's not indeed dead.)

Sasuke's brows furrow, and without a word he walks over to Sakura.

Because of his stern gaze and lack of words the rosette feels panic.

"I-I'm so sorry Sasuke, your shoe was the only one...erm...-"

. . .

"HUH?!" She screams out, staring in bewilderment as the bug crawls onto the Uchiha's pale finger.

Sasuke stares at it and then looks over at the startled rosette.

"I'll let it outside, it's probably just as frightened as you are." He says calmly, walking over to the window in the living room and opening it up before letting the bug fly away.

Sakura stares in bewilderment.

He's so gentle.

On the outside he acts like a threat, intimidating others with his cold stare but on the inside...

Sakura tilts her head, a soft and warm smile on her lips as she stares at the back of the Uchiha who's dark strands of hair sway in the breeze from the opened window.

...He's warm.

. . .

"What's with that creepy smile?" He asks mockingly, flicking the rosette's forehead.

Sakura's cheeks flare.

"I-It's not creepy!" She pouts, flailing her arms at him and he shakes his head, a smirk on his lips.

"Whatever."

Sakura huffs in annoyance at his stupid remark and places a hand on her hip.

"You didn't really do a good job at cleaning you know? I had to basically re clean the whole house!"

Sasuke gulps.

"Something important happened at work, couldn't miss it, I'm sorry."

His expression is tense, and the look on his eyes is cold. Something bad definitely happened.

Could it be something having to do with his sudden departure?

"I-It's fine Sasuke."

Sasuke snorts, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"What's so funny?" The rosette asks, tilting her head to the side.

Sasuke leans against the kitchen counter across from her.

"Ever since you met that blonde, you've stopped adding 'kun' to the end of my name." He says simply, and Sakura's emerald eyes widen.

She didn't even realize it.

"I-I didn't even notice..."

"You've changed a lot you know Sakura." He says, reaching out his hand and taking a hold of hers.

The chill of his hand causes her whole body to tingle, the contact electrifying.

With an intense gaze from Sasuke, Sakura feels her whole heart churn and her cheeks beginning to heat up.

No Sakura! Don't fall into his trap!

"Oh Sasuke, I love this song!" She says a smile spreading across her face as she steps back, letting go of his hand.

Sasuke eyes her.

A sweet french melody resonates throughout the cozy apartment, a song that lifted the spirits of the rosette immediately and distracted her from Sasuke's words and from her own beating heart.

Without thinking she twirls around to the beat of the music, cascading around the apartment like a goddess.

Sasuke watches from his position behind the counter, slightly impressed by her hidden talent.

At the climax of the song, the rosette rushes up to Sasuke, who has by now taken a seat on one of the kitchen stools, and with a flushed face and sloppy hair she takes a hold of one of his hands.

"Come dance with me, don't sit around like some kind of a sourpuss." She mocks light heartedly, tugging on his hand.

"Men don't dance Sakura." He says, feeling his brow waggle in irritation at her remark.

"Sasuke pleeeeaaaasseeee its my favorite song!" She continues to beg, tugging harder on his hand and grabbing the other one in hopes of getting his lazy butt of off the stool.

Still no avail.

"Sakura this is childish, I have self respect." He says more sternly, having just a tad of a difficult time staying seated.

"Didn't you earlier say you'll do "anything for me'?" She asks innocently with large dough eyes.

Sasuke's upper lip twitches in irritation and he scowls.

"You're hearing things."

Sakura laughs at his struggle to remain cool and collected.

"Just one song!" She pleads, and tugs him even harder.

Sasuke, who now feels on the verge of a mental breakdown, finally caves in and stands up intertwining his fingers with rosette's and leading her into the area between the living room and kitchen, a decently sized space for dancing.

A slower song comes on, the melody softer and more gentle than the last song.

He twirls her around, her short pink hair moving elegantly in the soft breeze.

Sasuke watches her closely as he guides her through a very simple ballroom dance, and he can't help but notice how much happiness something so simple brings her.

Her sweet laugh, and that brilliant smile of hers.

"S-Sasuke." Sakura says quietly, his onyx eyes staring at her making her feel small and fragile. A soft hue of cherry caresses her pale cheeks as she averts her eyes.

Sasuke moves his hand under her chin and tilts her head softly so that her eyes meet his.

Slowly, he brings his lips towards hers.

Both hearts beat wildly, as if in sync with the music and with each other.

His lips ghost over hers.

-RING! RING! RING!

Sakura jerks back immediately, her face completely flushed in crimson and her breathing heavy.

Sasuke clears his throat, raising a hand to cover his mouth as he looks away from the rosette.

"I-I think that's my c-cellphone." She says shakily, rushing past the Uchiha and into the bedroom, where she shuts the door and collapses against it.

Did Sasuke and her almost just...

"Kiss?!" She whisper to herself in shock, throwing her head in her hands and shaking her head rapidly.

.

.

.

Slamming his phone down on the counter, the redhead grunts loudly and taps his finger rapidly along the counter.

"That blasted woman, she isn't answering any of my calls!" He yells out angrily, shooting a fiery gaze at the blonde who is lounging on the couch with a bag of potato chips resting on his lap.

"Calm down, she's probably on her way here now. Have more faith in her Gaara." Naruto says calmly, although little does Gaara know that he's actually sweating buckets just thinking about her.

Was she safe? Did Sasuke do something to her?

It was now close to sunset, 6:20 pm to be exact.

He was managing with his worries by devouring potato chips. It helped calm his nerves.

The ding of the doorbell grabs the attention of the two, and immediately Naruto springs up on his feet, racing to the door and without hesitation opening it up.

He's met with the sight of a pink beauty who is wearing a dark wash of jeans and a sky blue sweater.

"Sakura-chan, how'd it go? You aren't hurt are you?" The blonde asks hastily, scrutinizing the blonde.

Sakura waves her hands in the air, a nervous smile on her lips.

"Don't worry, I'm fine Naruto. Really." She reassures him and the blonde takes a longer look at her before nodding and stepping to the side to let her in.

She steps in, takes off her blue flats, and walks over to a stool at the kitchen counter where she reaches into her purse and pulls out the orange USB.

"Here, I have what you asked for." She says, tossing it on the counter.

Gaara glares at her from across the counter.

"Why didn't you answer any of my calls?" He asks sternly, grabbing the USB.

Sakura freezes.

The real reason was because she wasn't able to get over the fact that her and Sasuke almost kissed and she was too frantic to even sputter out a sentence that made sense.

Even when she was leaving the apartment the best she could do was squeak out a pathetic goodbye. Sasuke on the other hand could barely look at her and just waved telling her to be careful.

She felt so stupid!

"Phone's on silent, sorry." She mutters under her breath.

Both agents raise a brow, but drop the subject.

After a moment of silence Sakura sighs.

"Well, are we going to see what he's hiding or not?"

Gaara nods and retreats to his office to retrieve the data.

Naruto on the other hand takes a seat on a stool next to the rosette.

"Did something happen?" He asks quietly and Sakura's eyes widen.

"What are you talking about?" She asks, turning her attention to him and sees that he's drawing circles with his fingers across the table.

His eyes remain downcast.

"You seem shaken up and a little angry at the same time. You don't have to talk about it, but I'll listen if there's something bothering you." He says with genuine care, a soft blush on his cheeks which is barely visible.

Quickly he looks up and sheepishly adds,

"Gaara shouldn't be done for at least a half hour."

Something warm spreads across Sakura's chest and a smile settles on her features.

"Thank you Naruto." She says warmly.

Naruto's face turns even redder and he stares at his lap.

Sakura turns her attention away from him, leaning her elbows on the countertops and stares at a photograph of Naruto and Gaara on top of the Empire State Building.

Gaara looks cold as usual, and Narutos wearing a big goofy grin while attempting to throw his arm over Gaara's shoulder.

Sakura giggles, before her eyes turn sad.

"Neh, Naruto."

Naruto perks his head up.

"Will Sasuke be okay after tonight?" Sakura asks, feeling slightly guilty for doing so.

The blonde sighs.

"He'll get what he deserves that's for sure." He says, and Sakura can't help but note the slight tinge of vengeance in his voice.

"And what's that?" She asks hesitantly.

Naruto opens his mouth to respond but a voice in the other room echoes throughout the apartment.

"A BULLET TO HIS HEAD! GOOD RIDDANCE!" Gaara yells loudly which is followed by a dramatic banging of his fists against his desk.

Sakura pales.

"N-No! You can't do that!" She yells, shooting up from her position on the stool, an exasperated expression on her face.

Naruto chuckles under his breath.

Sakura stares at him with a shocked expression.

"Calm down Sakura, he's just joking around." Naruto reassures her, biting back another laugh.

Sakura's shoulders slump and she lets out a long breath of relief.

"Just don't hurt him too much." She says quietly.

Naruto's eyes turn stern at her remark and he rubs his temple.

"Sakura, he deserves a punishment that's worth his crimes. His family killed my parents, he killed his own brother, and now he's selling illegal drugs across the country. He's a murderer, a criminal and criminals don't get a happy ending." He says firmly, a sliver of fire in his eyes.

Sakura swallows hard.

She couldn't say anything to him because she knew that deep down he was right.

Sasuke needed to be punished, no matter how kind he acted towards her...he killed people for his job.

That's not something that can be let off the hook so easily.

"Do you get it Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks, more gently this time.

Sakura nods slowly.

"Yeah, I do." She says quietly, sadness lacing her voice.

Naruto takes his hand into hers, and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"I promise, everything will be okay Sakura. I'll protect you, no matter what it takes." He says firmly, his ocean eyes sparkling with determination.

Sakura's breath hitches in her throat as she stares at his sincere eyes. The warmth of his large hand on hers causes her insides to tingle with excitement and warmth.

It was a different type of jolt from when Sasuke touched her. Something on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Naruto was so honest. He was warm and made her feel completely safe. Something she rarely felt with anyone.

It excited her.

"Thank you, Naruto." She replies, a faint blush on her cheeks as she smiles genuinely at him.

Naruto nods, a blush of his own spreading across his cheeks.

"Ahem." Gaara clears his throat, causing the two to jump away from each other like frightened cats.

Naruto and Sakura's cheeks both burn brightly.

"G-Gaara that was faster than expected." Naruto says, casually leaning his hand against the kitchen counter.

Gaara nods.

He strolls over the to kitchen and sets his laptop down to reveal his findings.

His screen is filled with all of Sasuke's emails, and some codes that Sakura could never in a million years decipher.

"What's this all mean?" She asks curiously.

"Meeting times and locations. He's currently going to attend a meeting in an office building about fifteen minutes away from here." Gaara informs the two, exiting out of one page only to click on another email.

"Meeting time is in twenty minutes. Then he's to be departed somewhere afterwards. The location is unknown as of right now."

Naruto purses his lips.

"We should probably get going then right?" The blonde asks, turning his attention away from the computer screen and standing up.

Gaara nods, standing as well.

"Good idea, go get changed from those grimy soccer clothes. We leave in five." He says, leaving the computer open and walking over to the fridge to grab a cold bottle of water.

The boys retreat to their rooms, leaving Sakura all alone in the kitchen.

She sighs, rubbing her temples.

Wait...

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

* * *

**A/N: I'm not dead!**

**I promise that I'll be updating more frequently now. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad, and sorry if there are grammer mistakes or such, I was using my phone to write this and it was the hardest thing of my life because my stupid fingers kept clicking the wrong key and omg it kept asking to insert a freaking and I hate my life. (LOL)**

**PLEASE OMG PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW I MISS TALKING TO YOU GUYS.**

**Let me know what you think of the story! ALSO, I honestly kind of like Sasuke in this story...so like idk you guys... *gets killed***

**ANYWAYS I LOVE YOU ALL THANK YOU FOR THE MASSIVE SUPPORT.**

**Until next chapter, toodles~**


	15. Chapter 15: Confrontation

The sun was lightly kissing the horizon causing hues of orange and pink spilling across the evening sky. It was now 6:30 pm, and Sakura Haruno was tightly holding a plastic cup filled with warm hot chocolate as she sat at a window seat of the starbucks across from the Uchiha Corporations building. Her nerves were getting the best of her as she rapidly tapped her foot against the leg of the stool, her palms growing sweaty from anxiety.

Naruto and Gaara had told her that she was to keep watch in case the Uchiha escaped from the front of the building or she saw anything suspicious, but they sternly told her that Sasuke could by no means find out that she was involved in any of this.

As much as she wanted to protest and beg them to let her do _something_ she bit her tongue and just nodded silently. As Naruto stated,

It's to protect her.

Sighing, the rosette brings the cup to her lips.

"You two better be okay." She whispers, before taking a small sip.

.

.

.

Standing before the glass door entrance of the Corporation building, Naruto fixes his royal blue tie nervously.

Gaara checks his watch quickly, rolling up his sleeve and giving it a quick glance before his eyes dart over to take a look at the nervous blonde.

"You know the plan right?" He asks sternly, earning a firm nod from Naruto.

"Room 874, eighth floor." He replies.

Gaara nods, impressed that he managed to remember the room number.

"Follow my lead." Gaara says coolly, inhaling one last time before pulling the glass doors open and taking a step into the main lobby of the large building.

The minute the two step in, Naruto's eyes immediately fall on the reception counter straight ahead and the large sign behind it that reveals the Uchiha name in large bold white letters, the crest a backdrop behind it. Classy black futons are positioned in the room along with modern white tables, and a small bubbling noise emits from the little fountain placed on the slick black reception desk.

Naruto follows Gaara as he continues walking straight, until he leans his elbows on the reception desks and eyes the employee. She's a pretty woman, looking a little younger than the two of them, with long curly brown hair and deep green eyes. She's wearing a black dress, and large pearl earrings.

Naruto notes, that by her jittery eye movements and the small blush creeping up on her cheeks, she's new to the job and to their advantage finds them attractive.

Gaara smirks.

He's also made the same observations.

"H-How may I help you two?" She asks sweetly, stuttering slightly as she tries her hardest to keep eye contact with the redhead.

Gaara shoots her his signature bad boy smirk leaning a little over the counter, and Naruto notes that her cheeks deepen another shade of red.

He's having fun with this.

"We're here for a meeting." He says coolly.

The brunette nods quickly and flips open a large black binder that's just to the left of her on the counter.

"Do you have one booked?" She asks shyly.

Gaara nods

"Yes, room 874."

Naruto notices that her eyes widen significantly and she immediately slams the binder shut. She bows her head slightly, her brown bangs falling across her face.

"O-Of course, go on right ahead."She says politely and the two agents raise a brow to each other at her sudden change in behavior.

"Thank you." Gaara replies, before walking towards the staircase at the end of the hallway to their right.

As they walk away, Naruto hears the brunette mumble,

"I would have never guessed that _the_ Mr. Uchiha is so young."

For some reason, the words bring a shiver down the blonde's spine and he looks over at his comrade.

Gaara's brows are knitted in thought.

"The Mr. Uchiha, huh?" Gaara mumbles to himself as he opens the door to the staircase and they proceed to climb up to the eighth floor.

.

.

.

Upon reaching the eighth floor, the two agents open the door and are greeted with white washed walls, dark hardwood floors, and a wall straight ahead that has a massive painting of the founder of the Uchiha Corporations.

"The meeting room must be after we turn this corner."Gaara says quietly, shutting the door to the staircase slowly and pulling out his slick black hand gun.

Naruto swallows hard, feeling the nervousness bubble inside of him. He never liked this part of the job, especially considering this was his first real encounter with the Uchiha outside of having dinner with him and Sakura.

They weren't friends, right here and now Sasuke Uchiha was his worst enemy.

"Peak your head around the corner, check if we're clear to keep moving." Gaara suggests, and Naruto moves towards the corner, peaking his head out slightly.

The hallway is empty, and one of the door's at the very end of the hallway is open. The light is on as well.

Naruto looks behind at Gaara and shoots him a thumbs up before heading into the open and pulling out his own hand gun. He moves stealthily to the end of the hallway and stops, just before the opened door.

"Head in Uzumaki, if anything happens I'll back you up." He whispers firmly.

Naruto looks behind at his comrade and nods his head. With sweaty palms and a deep breath he peaks his head into the room and notices that Sasuke is standing by a window with his back faced towards him. He's wearing a black fitted suit, and he seems to be muttering something under his breath. He's tapping his foot rapidly, as if he was nervous.

The blonde notices that the room is rather large, with a big oval table and many chairs spilling on each side. There's a large whiteboard at the far end of the room, and some charts and graphs are hung up by it. The walls are washed white, many pictures of Uchiha's up on the wall and some abstract paintings, and black hardwood floors make the room look professional and modern.

It looks like a typical conference room.

Naruto takes a step in, immediately raising his arms and pointing the gun at the head of the Uchiha.

"Ah, cousin nice of you to-" Sasuke begins as he turns around but halts in his words as he notices that a gun is pointed his way, and the icy eyes of the blonde pierce into his soul.

"Move and I'll shoot." Naruto says firmly, his knuckles turning white as he continues to point the gun.

Sasuke chuckles lightly, shoving his hands into his pockets casually.

"Judging by that gun you're pointing at me, I guess you've found me out." He says, leaning his back against the window sill and raising a playful brow.

Naruto's eye twitches in annoyance.

Why was he acting so casual? Had he fallen into some sort of a trap? Or was he just being cocky?

"Who were you waiting for just now?" The blonde asks, still firmly pointing the gun.

Sasuke sighs and chooses to ignore the question.

"You don't have to keep pointing that gun at me, you and I both know you won't actually shoot me." Sasuke says confidently, smirking devilishly at the blonde who narrows his eyes.

Frustrated, Naruto grits his teeth and steps forward still pointing the gun at Sasuke's head.

"Answer the question." He says again, firmly.

Smirking cockily , Sasuke pushes himself off of the window sill and takes slow steps forward. Naruto notices that the Uchiha walks with great confidence, his head lifted proudly. It intimidates the blonde, and he realizes that he himself is slowly backing up as Sasuke continues to advance forward.

Why was he acting so confident?

Naruto thinks, as he takes the time to take another glance around the room.

He had no allies, and there was nothing in the room that gave him the upper hand. No cameras, no weapons lying around, nothing. The blonde had his comrade waiting outside the room as backup, he had the advantage.

So why did it feel like he was losing?

Too wrapped up in his thought, the Uchiha takes the opportunity to swat the gun out of his hands. It falls and skids across the hardwood floors, spinning in circles and completely out of reach.

Naruto's blue eyes widen as he realizes he has no gun and Sasuke now has the upperhand. With panic bubbling inside of him, the blonde's eyes land on the Uchiha who is now two feet away and staring at him with cold eyes.

"It's truly a shame that things had to end up this way. And here I thought that when I treated you to dinner, the Alliance had finally realized its mistakes." He says sympathetically.

"What mistakes?" Naruto spits bitterly.

The Alliance had done nothing but try to stop the Akatsuki who have been selling drugs illegally across the various countries, destroying economies and making money illegally.

"Mistakes such as you, or should I call you an experiment? " Sasuke says, shrugging his shoulders as the blonde narrows his eyes at him.

Naruto's heart stops cold. He knows. He thought it was confidential information, but somehow Sasuke knows.

But how could Sasuke possibly know? Was he toying with him? And why wasn't Sasuke shooting or fighting? Why was he still so calm?

Just what was going on?

Sasuke's features darken as a smirk sets on his lips.

"I'm sure your friend is a bit bored standing guard, why don't you invite him in, number 9?"

Suddenly, the door to the room is kicked down and Gaara races in with a gun in his hand and pointed directly at the raven haired male.

"You have five seconds to surrender before your head comes off." He spits his voice toxic and filled with spite.

Naruto looks back in shock to see that Gaara's eyes emit so much hatred that it could burn a hole through their enemy. The atmosphere turned tense as Gaara locked eyes with their enemy. Sasuke must have not been aware of just who he was dealing with.

"G-Gaara?" Sasuke stammers, his charcoal eyes widening in fear.

Naruto looks back to him to see Sasuke's distracted, his eyes darting from Gaara to the exit at the other end of the room. Sasuke also looks nervous, his jaw is clenched and by the way his eyes are bouncing all across the room it means he's ready to admit defeat and race off.

"How the hell do you know about the experiments!?" Naruto yells loudly as he extends his arm and his fist makes direct contact with Sasuke's bony chin.

A perfect uppercut.

Sasuke stumbles back, rubbing his chin and cursing under his breath.

The blonde breathes heavily, feeling adrenaline race through his body.

Sasuke then counters with a punch at the blonde. Naruto just barely dodges the punch, but Sasuke, being one step ahead, lands a kick to the blondes stomach. Naruto bends over, giving Sasuke the perfect opportunity to smack Naruto on the top of the head, sending the blonde face first to the floor. Then to finish off the move, Sasuke kicks him in the side, causing Naruto to roll over forcefully.

The blonde grunts in pain as he staggers up. As much as it hurts to admit, Sasuke is a better fighting than Naruto.

Both men lock eyes. Naruto observes that Sasuke's suit has gotten a bit crinkled, and the tie was close to coming undone. Naruto runs at Sasuke, his fist balled up, ready to land a punch. Sasuke side steps and grabs Naruto's wrist and begins to twist it. Naruto, realizing what's going to happen, uses his other hand to punch Sasuke in the chest. Sasuke heaves and let's go of his grip, retreating behind a chair to give himself space.

The air around them feels heavy, dense with pressure.

The blonde comes at him yet again. Sasuke waits until Naruto is but feet in front of him, picks up the chair, and throws it at the blonde with perfect accuracy.

Naruto falls back, and a blur of red races passes him. Before Naruto can decipher what's going on Gaara and Sasuke engage in a full on fist fight. He notices that although Gaara is an excellent fighter, Sasuke is much faster and swiftly dodges the majority of Gaara's punches and kicks.

Feeling useless, the blonde reaches for his gun that had been smacked away, ready to fire if necessary.

Sasuke sends a blow to Gaara's head, causing the redhead to stumble back a bit. Gaara quickly regains his stance and stops to observe Sasuke's next move.

"How do you know about the experiments?" Gaara commands.

"Your mother was very generous, but it did take a little…_force_ to get the information out of her about your little organization." He says, smirking as he does so.

"Shut up." Gaara retorts, his tone of voice deadly and he suddenly grabs the collar of Sasuke's shirt, pulling him forward with massive force and bashing his head against the Uchiha's.

Sasuke closes his eyes as the impact leaves him dizzy, and when he opens his eyes he is met with the deadliest glare. It sends a multitude of shivers down his spine. Gaara then smirks, pleased with how easily the Uchiha can be scared. Fresh blood trickles down the redhead's forehead, but he doesn't seem fazed.

"You don't want to get on my bad side Uchiha." He growls darkly.

Sasuke swallows hard. Gaara had completely caught him off guard with his abrupt anger.

The redhead shoves him back, causing Sasuke to stumble, and he wastes no time as he uses his arm to pin him against the wall.

Sasuke feels his trachea crushing under the force of Gaara's arm. He tries his hardest to wiggle out of the strong hold, but no avail.

With fear pooling within the Uchiha, Gaara feeds off of it. Loving the look of horror in his charcoal eyes, Gaara smiles devilishly and drives his knee into his gut. Sasuke emits a sound of regurgitation, feeling his insides crush and churn with discomfort.

Not getting enough of his agony, the redhead repeats the same move until the Uchiha is coughing blood, and his body feels numb.

"Now, be quiet." Gaara says darkly, his breath feeling like needles against the Uchiha's face.

Sasuke opens a weak eye, grunting.

The redhead grabs the locks of hair on the Uchiha's head, and lifts his head so that they can make direct eye contact.

"Good boy." He whispers, his voice matching that of a crazed person.

Sasuke feels his body tremble in terror and pain.

So this is Gaara Sabaku. He'd heard multiple stories about him, the wildest one being that he once killed a man by shoving sand down his throat; ultimately giving him the nickname "Sand Man". Rumor was that he's the most feared man in the Alliance.

He didn't believe it, calling it bluff.

But now, Sasuke realizes that that was no bluff. He realizes that indeed Gaara frightens him. He'd never met someone who finds so much amusement in fighting, and even more in torture.

Gaara rams Sasuke's head into the wall, leaving him grunting in pain and leaving a healthy dent in the wall.

The Uchiha feels his head grow swollen and even dizzier.

"Who exactly where you waiting for?" The redhead asks, watching as the Uchiha blinks his eyes rapidly in hopes of not losing consciousness.

Sasuke emits a low chuckle, which in itself is a feat, considering his current state.

"You think I'll tell you that easily?" He says smugly, a sloppy smirk on his face. There's no way he'd give Gaara the pleasure of winning that easily. His pride will not allow it.

"Tch." And with that Gaara punches the man square in the face, a loud _crack_ emitting from the raven haired man's jaw. This time Sasuke emits a louder grunt. Blood sheds from the left corner of his lips, the pain becoming something close to unbearable.

"Tell me." Gaara demands. His grip on the Uchiha tightening. When Sasuke shifts uncomfortably a smile grazes Gaara's lips.

He enjoyed this. He enjoyed seeing his victims fall and crumble underneath his grip. Torture was his favorite instrument, it was like music to his ears.

Gaara gave Sasuke a full 10 seconds to answer, and when time was up, he gave the raven haired enemy another blow to the gut. This time Sasuke coughed up blood and made several gagging noises much to the redhead's entertainment.

"Gaara stop it, we need him alive!" Naruto yells from across the room, watching in horror at the scene before him. If this keeps up, Gaara will surely kill Sasuke.

He'd known Gaara was a ruthless fighter, but this was just too much. Did Gaara hold no mercy?

The redhead looks over at the blonde with bloodthirsty eyes making Naruto flinch, and the small opportunity opens itself for Sasuke. He takes it without thinking twice.

As Gaara's focus on the Uchiha dissipates, Sasuke wiggles himself out of Gaara's grasp and pulls out his gun. He gives himself some distance before pulling the trigger. The sound causes Gaara's eyes to widen as it echoes throughout the room.

Naruto's eyes widen as he realizes that the bullet is heading straight for Gaara's chest. And it's as if his feet have a mind of their own because within a fragment of a second, the blonde is no longer halfway across the room but body slaming Gaara at full force.

The bullet grazes Naruto's left calf, leaving an open and bleeding wound. The blonde emits a yelp from the shot, unable to hide his pain.

The two of them fall roughly onto the large conference table as they skid across it. Naruto's shirt rides up and his skin burns against the wooden table.

Sasuke stares at the hole in the wall where the bullet had plunged itself.

"What speed…" He says, completely astonished.

Gaara and Naruto grunt simultaneously, and both stagger up.

Pain shoots from Naruto's left leg, which makes standing up a great effort.

Sasuke takes the time to race for the exit, but the sound of a trigger going off and a bullet rushing a centimeter away from his nose causes him to halt.

He whips his head around to see Gaara and his gun pointed at him.

"Nice try." Gaara smirks devilishly, and Sasuke grunts. He had to get out of here, there's no way he'd be able to win a fight against two trained agents, yet alone Gaara himself. He scans the room and sees an exit that only he will be able to execute.

With the last of his energy, Sasuke turns on his heel, jumps over the conference table, and races for the large windows where Naruto had first found him. He runs awkwardly, feeling his head growing dizzier and dizzier with each step.

He ignores the pain, knowing that he has to get away.

Gaara shoots his gun rapidly, but Sasuke's swiftness gives him the greater advantage. Sasuke takes out his own gun and blindly fires at both Gaara and Naruto.

Naruto ducks behind the conference table, whereas Gaara dodges the bullets with skill alone. Naruto watches in astonishment at Sasuke's skill. He was so fast and it was almost as if he could see where the bullets would go which made it easier for him to dodge.

It was an amazing sight to see.

The sound of a gun being fired blasts throughout the room and spills into the hallway, which mixes with the sounds of police sirens.

Upon reaching the window, Sasuke wastes no time and body slams into the large glass windows shattering them as he falls through.

"He's getting away!" Naruto shouts, limping towards the now shattered windows, but falls as his leg gives out on him.

Naruto stands up gingerly and looks out the window, what he sees causes his jaw to drop.

Sasuke is holding onto the black ladder of an Uchiha Corporations helicopter, as it flies high into the sky and out of sight. Gaara shots a few bullets at the Uchiha, but it's fruitless.

"He got away." Gaara fires angrily, kicking over a chair in frustration.

Naruto's body tenses as he turns his attention away from the window and unto Gaara.

"It's not your fault Gaara." Naruto reassures him, hoping to calm down the seething redhead.

Gaara shoots him a deadly glare, his teal eyes glistening with anger.

"You're right, it's not my fault," He says bitterly, taking steps closer to the blonde until he's in his face, "It's your fault for opening that loud mouth of yours!" He says darkly, shoving Naruto back roughly.

"H-Hey calm down Gaara." Naruto says weakly, intimidated by his raw power and harsh tone.

He needed to calm Gaara down before he ended up like Sasuke.

"Shut up." He snaps, turning around and heading over to the front of the room where he picks up a black briefcase, which Naruto guesses is Sasuke's by the large Uchiha crest on the front.

The sound of footsteps rushing through the corridor causes both of the agents' ears to perk up. They shoot each other a look and nod their heads as Naruto attempts to man up and ignore the pain in his leg as both agents head for the second exit and rush out, just before the cops come up.

"Let's go find your girlfriend." Gaara says as they rush for the stairwell.

Naruto feels his cheeks heat up.

"S-Shut up."

* * *

**xXx**

* * *

**A / N:** I apologize for the action part in this chapter, I really tried writing something decent...I'm not really sure how well I was able to write it.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! You're comments really motivate me and help me become a better writer, so thank you!

I also thank all of you for the massive support on this story. NEVER LET NARUSAKU DIE MY FRIENDS! :DD

Until next chapter, toodles~


	16. Chapter 16: Pillow Talk

She was a coward.

It's what the rosette decided to mutter over and over as she paces around her living room, having her arms folded over her chest as her whole body jittered from anxiety.

During the long wait, she had finished a total of three hot chocolates and two scones (stress eating she blamed it on that) and she tried to finish up her newest novel but her mind was somewhere else. When she saw the cops and their blaring sirens pull up in front of the building and a jet black helicopter descend from the sky she was just about ready to vomit up the contents of her stomach.

Sakura was frightened to death that someone might notice her or ask her if she was connected to the three who were most likely having a bloody battle somewhere within the building.

She didn't want to be called out or worst arrested!

So she did the one thing she knew.

She ran back home.

And now with a rapidly beating anxious heart she feels like an idiot for doing so.

The two agents were counting on her to be there after they came back.

Groaning, Sakura runs a hand down her face.

She had let them down.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Jumping out of her skin at the noise, the rosette whips her head towards the direction of the front door.

Was Sasuke back to take his things? Were the authorities here to investigate her? Was she going to be arrested?

Sakura freezes in place, hoping that if she doesn't answer the door they'll go away. All of the worst case scenarios running through her head.

But, her visitor is persistent.

They bang again, and the door shakes with each knock.

"WOMAN OPEN THE DOOR." A deep masculine voice yells, and Sakura immediately notices who it is.

She lets out a long breath of relief, and with quick feet rushes to open the door before the two break it down.

"Sorry I thought that-" She halts in her words as she stares dumbfounded at the two.

She notices right away that both of their usually slick and clean suits are completely crumpled up and torn apart. Their faces are bruised and fresh blood is spotted on their clothes.

There's a crusty layer of blood splashed on Naruto's left calf, and his messy golden hair is tinted with red. As for Gaara he just looks like he could set the whole apartment complex on fire with one look while looking like some beat up business man as he casually carries a brief case.

"Move." Gaara says sharply, shoving past her and not bothering to take off his shoes. He grumpily stomps to the bathroom, which is in the bedroom, and slams the door shut with a thud.

Sakura's body shivers at the cold tone of his voice.

Naruto sighs.

"He gets like that when things don't go as planned." The blonde says exhaustedly.

Sakura just stares at him in horror and she feels her stomach churning as she stares at his calf wound. She'd never had to deal with anything that looks so gruesome and the amount of blood frightened her.

Sure she was a nurse and could deal with blood and all that stuff, but here she has no control of the situation. Looking at Naruto, she completely blanked on what she had to do. The rosette dealt with colds and small sicknesses, this was…this looked like someone who should be driven on a gurney into the emergency room.

"Wanna let me in?" Naruto asks, his voice weak as he sways from side to side.

Sakura immediately notices the color draining from his face and her senses go into nurse mode.

"Of course, go sit on one of the couches." She says quickly, sliding to the side as he staggers in and dumps himself on the couch sloppily.

He groans as he lifts his leg and props it up on the table.

"I hope you…don't mind." He grunts, beads of sweat slowly falling down the side of his face.

Sakura stares at him in shock.

How did he manage to walk all the way back to her apartment without collapsing? Did Gaara carry him?

How is he even conscious?

She watches him with worried eyes.

Forcing herself to inhale deeply and calm her nerves, the rosette decides to focus.

She needed to stop the bleeding.

Without another thought she races into the kitchen to grab a rag, which she quickly drenches with water and rushes back to attend to her patient.

Quickly, she tears away the already torn fabric of his pants and wipes the dried blood from the flesh wound. She had to hold her breath to keep from vomiting. It smelled disgusting.

After wiping up the dried blood she notices that the wound is still bleeding. So, she presses the rag against the wound in hopes of stopping it.

Naruto grunts as she continues to press, and her heart drops to the pits of her stomach.

Looking over at him she notices that his face is crinkled in pain and he grits his teeth to help distract himself from the discomfort.

Sakura had to admit that seeing him in pain was the single most painful thing she'd ever experienced. Not even when she had patients vomiting their guts out or little children going through traumatic situations, no this was far worse.

Why?

Because it was…it was Naruto.

Her cheeks heat as she suddenly realizes her heart fluttering as his name repeats in her mind.

He grunts again, this time jerking his leg back and Sakura looses her grip on the rag as it falls to on the coffee table.

She snaps back into reality, pushing her thoughts to the far corners of her mind.

"Sorry Sakura-chan…it hurt." Naruto says weakly, shooting her an apologetic smile.

She shakes her head.

"It's fine, can you prop your leg back up? I need to stop the wound from bleeding." She says softly, hoping that he'll comply.

He nods, his leg plopping back down on the table hesitantly. She notices that he shuts his eyes and cringes as the bloody rag yet again makes contact with his wound.

Sakura gingerly applies pressure to the wound as she sees the blonde beginning to relax. The blood from his clothes will definitely stain her couch, and she also notes that she'll have to buy some new pillows.

A few minutes pass and Sakura notes that she had gotten the bleeding under control, and heads to her medical cabinet that's in the kitchen. She wastes no time grabbing the hydrogen peroxide, bandages, painkillers, and a needle and thread to sow the wound together. Sakura is a nurse, and after all, she knows how to deal with these kinds of situations easily.

She heads over to Naruto and begins to treat her patient.

.

.

.

After much grunting, cringing, cursing, leg jerking, and stitching Sakura finally finishes by securing the stitches in place and throwing a blanket over the blonde who was now snoozing away.

At first, the painkillers didn't kick in but after around an hour he was out like a light.

Wiping her brow with her wrist, Sakura lets out a breath of relief and looks over at the clock hanging in the kitchen.

_1:04 am._

She slumps her shoulders.

It was late.

Feeling exhausted and disgusted from stitching up an open and bloody wound, the rosette gathers up her medical utensils and heads for the kitchen where she sterilizes everything up and places it back in the medicine cabinet.

After doing so, she turns around to look at the blonde across the room who is snoring lightly.

She smiles to herself.

He looked so at peace when he slept.

She was glad that he wasn't in pain anymore. When he was cringing and holding the tears back in his eyes her heart physically hurt. She hated putting him in pain, but she had no choice.

Sakura was surprised with herself for even being able to fix his gruesome wound. The last time she stitched up something that bad was back when she was in university. But now as a child's pediatrician she rarely, almost never, had to do something that extreme. Usually the hospital would take care of it.

A little spark of confidence bubbled inside of her.

Even though she had graduated around two years ago, she never lost her skill.

She could accomplish something that a nurse or doctor at a hospital had to take care of.

Not being cocky, but Sakura was proud of herself.

She decides to take another look at the blonde's wound before heading to sleep.

The rosette makes her way over to him and lifts the blanket, eyeing the fresh stitches. She smiles proudly at her work before placing the blanket neatly back on him and taking a seat across from him.

She actually healed him up just fine!

The rosette couldn't wait to tell her coworkers tomorrow morning.

The sound of the bedroom door opening snaps the rosette out of her thoughts and she looks over to see Gaara emerging from the room.

The first thing she notices is that he's shirtless and his torso and left shoulder are wrapped in white bandages. His usually clean face is blotched with bruises, a large on a little under his chin. His hair is still in the process of drying from the shower, and so it's spikier than usual. He's wearing one of Sasuke's gray sweatpants that he had left before his sudden departure.

He stands in the doorway as his teal eyes look over and make contact with hers.

A jolt sparks inside of her at his electric gaze.

She's a little intimidated and shifts uncomfortably her the seat because of her last encounter with him hours ago.

Was he still mad? Was he mad at her?

Sakura lets out a breath she'd been holding as he averts his eyes and heads to the kitchen. She watches him fill the kettle with water and let it boil on the stove as he searches through the pantry before finding the tea bags. He pulls out two.

_Was he that thirsty that he needed two tea bags? _

Sakura wonders as she watches him pull out two white mugs.

The kettle squeaks, and Sakura jolts at the noise immediately looking over at Naruto to see if he'd woken up.

He was still snoring away, his mouth hung open a little.

She slumps her shoulders in relief before sending an icy glare towards Gaara's back.

Did he not care that his teammate was trying to sleep and recover?!

She continues to watch him pour the water into both of the mugs before he turns around and heads over to where she is sitting.

She looks up at him, at his striking teal eyes and his stoic face, waiting for him to say something.

After a moment, he relaxes his shoulders and his features become warmer.

"Let's head to the bedroom, I want to talk to you about something. I made us tea." He whispers in hope of not waking the blonde.

Sakura raises a brow, but decides to follow him into the bedroom, where he shuts the door using his foot and hands her the warm cup of tea. She takes it, letting the warmth of it relax her aching hands.

Because stitching up someone's calf for over an hour was hard work and her hands were aching from holding the needle so tightly.

The rosette takes a seat on her bed, leaning her back against the soft and lush pillows alongside the headboard while Gaara sits at the foot of the bed.

She pulls the covers over herself all the while making sure she doesn't spill her tea. Once she finally settles down, she takes a sip of her chai tea and notices it's just how she likes it. Two cubes of sugar. How'd he know?

Speaking of him, she looks up to see Gaara with multiple blankets draped over himself. The only part of his body that's visible is his neck, head, and hands. He's holding his mug of tea close to his chest and is sitting crisscross applesauce.

A comfortable silence settles between them as they both take the time to enjoy each other's company and the snug atmosphere.

Sakura takes this time to notice the bags under his eyes and slouched posture. He was tired, exhausted probably. He'd undoubtedly been in these situations before, and Sakura couldn't help but notice how well he handled it. He calmed down, wrapped his wounds, and even managed to make tea for not only himself, but also for her.

She admired his leadership and strength.

A lazy yawn emits from Gaara's lips and Sakura shifts her attention to him.

"How do you feel?" He asks her drowsily, concern lacing his voice.

"Honestly? Tired." She replies, rubbing her eyes with sore hands.

She had just spent over an hour stitching up his teammate and not to mention all of the stress of the day had caused her whole body to ache with concern and anxiety. She was mentally and physically exhausted.

The redhead nods before licking his dry lips.

"And how do you feel about this?" He asks her, his eyes soft as he leans in a little, his voice tender.

She takes a deep breath and contemplates her answer.

"It's a lot of things. It's fun, exciting, and new but then again it's sad, gruesome, and scary. But then again I love the excitement, I love the people I met, and I'd rather be involved then to sit on the sidelines." She answers honestly, her emotions jumbled all over the place.

The redhead gives her a good look, his eyebrows knitted in concentration. It's a long moment before he decides to speak up again, as he takes a long sip from his tea.

"Thank you, for healing Naruto today." He says with a small smile, as he looks at her, his teal eyes genuine.

Sakura's heart warms at his words.

She could see it in his smile that he really did care for the blonde even though he didn't like to show it at times.

"Of course, healing people is in my nature you know?" She jokes lightly, earning a light chuckle from Gaara.

"We could use you, you know." He states.

Sakura lifts a brow and tilts her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She inquires.

"You could be a part of our team… as a medic." He says carefully, not sure what her reaction will be.

He had thought of adding her to the team for a while, and after seeing how well she was able to handle today's events, and treat the blonde, he knew she'd be a good asset. Not only for that reason but also because she was the one person outside of the organization that knew about their secrets…not all of them, but enough.

Sakura's eyes widen at his words.

They wanted her to be on their team?

"Me? But, I'm not even…I don't even know how to be an agent. I'm just a pediatrician." She says, forcing nervous laughter but stops short as she realizes that Gaara is actually being serious.

No way would they want her! She would just drag the team down.

"You wouldn't be an agent, no, you'd be the medic." He says again, bringing the cup of tea to his lips as he takes another sip.

"But, I have no experience… I mean you guys are agents you'd need a professional. Someone who's brave…I'm…I'm not." She admits, her self-esteem shattering.

It was true. She was so frightened when she saw the cop cars racing from all different directions and the blaring sound of gunshots that she ran home. Mostly because she was afraid that somehow someone would think she was connected to the madness and the other reason…well she was just scared. Scared for herself, and for her friends. She was scared that she wouldn't see them walk out alive.

So, she ran from her fears.

Coward.

"It'll take some getting used to, the first mission you should have seen Naruto." He chuckles, shaking his head as he remembers the memory.

Sakura watches him in amusement.

She never knew that Gaara was so pleasant to talk to. He was much calmer than Naruto, and to her he acted much more mature. She misjudged him when she first met him.

He didn't crack stupid jokes or act clumsy.

He was professional, but also very laid back.

She had to admit that she enjoyed his company.

"What I'm trying to say is that you won't be asked to be involved in any of the, dirty work we're part of, but if we get hurt or are injured you'll be there to fix us up. Like a personal medic. It's not as bad as you think, plus you'll get to go outside of your comfort zones, met new people, and travel to new places. Plus the pay is good." He says, smirking as her eyes light up when he mentions travelling.

"Travelling the world?" She asks, her eyes sparkling at the thought.

"Something like that. The more technical term is being assigned to a location to preform a job."

Sakura bits her lip as she thinks about Gaara's proposal.

She's been cooped up in Manhattan ever since she graduated college due to her job offer. She hasn't been able to take a vacation, due to her laziness, but mostly due to her finances.

She was saving up to buy a house, but now she'd be able to travel the world as a part of her job?

"I'd lo-"

She stops before answering him.

Of course she'd love to travel and she likes the company of the two, but what about her life here?

She couldn't just abandon the job that she'd worked so hard at earning for these two.

Could she?

No she couldn't.

But why was this tugging feeling in her chest telling her that she should.

That she _wanted_ to.

Gaara immediately notices her hesitation, and the internal conflict going on within her by her sudden silence.

"You don't have to answer right away, it's sudden I know." He says gently, giving her a supportive look.

She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips.

"It's just a lot to think about." She says honestly.

Gaara nods in complete understanding.

"Just let me know when you're ready."

She nods, and gives him a warm smile.

He gives her a small smile before looking up at the clock that's hung in the room.

"Well, I think we should both head to bed." He says, noting that it's roughly two in the morning.

Sakura nods as well, yawning as she does so. She shrugs off the blanket and stretches her tired legs on the bed. Placing the mug down on the side table, the rosette suddenly remembers something.

"Gaara where are you going to sleep?" She asks curiously, remembering that Naruto had occupied the large couch in the living room and she's going to take the bed.

She felt terrible that she had no space for him, noting that his injuries didn't look well enough for his body to endure sleeping on the floor.

The redhead shrugs.

"It's fine I usually don't sleep." He says casually, shrugging it off.

The rosette eyes him.

"With those injuries rest is the best thing for you." She says in the manner of a mother, she was a nurse after all who had dealt with plenty of stubborn little kids.

"Really Sakura, I'm fine." He reassures her, shrugging of his blanket as he stands with the mug in his hands.

Sakura shakes her head vigorously.

"No, you can sleep here with me." She says before rehearsing her words in her head.

At that the redhead smirks.

"Persistent. I like that." He says smugly, smirking confidently.

Sakura rolls her eyes and sighs.

So childish.

"Are you going to get in bed or not?" Sakura asks, lifting a brow as she places a hand on her hip, giving him a quirky look.

The redhead relaxes his cocky expression, crawling on the bed over to the right of where the rosette is seated herself. She watches him crawl under the covers before leaning his back against the headboard, relaxing his shoulders.

"I'm going to go put on pajamas." Sakura says, hopping out of bed and walking over to the bathroom, which is connected to the bedroom. She wanders over and is about to flick off the lights when a voice halts her.

"Could you," Gaara begins before averting his eyes shyly.

Sakura raises a playful brow as a ginormous smirk slides across her features.

Is Gaara…scared of the dark?

Gaara, the man who takes every step with confidence radiating off of him and is always seen holding his chin up high. Gaara with the proud smirks and aleck humor, afraid of the dark.

She didn't think he was scared of anything.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle to herself at the thought.

"Gaara…are you afraid of the…_dark_?" She mocks; laughing even harder as she watches his cheeks tinge a light shade of scarlet.

"Just do it." He snaps grumpily, meeting her gaze as his left eye twitches.

Sakura wipes her eyes before recollecting her breath.

"You're kidding." She retorts, surprised. He was acting like a complete child.

Gaara slides down a little under the covers in hopes of covering his embarrassment, which is splattered on his face in a light rosy color that could only be noticeable if you stared. He looks like half a head with his nose under the sheets.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" He retorts blankly his voice muffled by the blanket. He squints at her.

Sakura gives him a concerned look.

"Gaara you're like twenty five years old."

A vein pops on the top of his pale forehead.

"Insomnia doesn't need an age." He frowns.

"Insomnia? Do you need medication?" She asks, genuinely concerned.

He had to be completely drained from energy and especially with the wounds scattered across his body…he needed rest.

The redhead only shakes his head.

"I'm fine, just leave the lights on okay?" He asks, hating how vulnerable he sounded.

Sakura decides not to push him further on the topic, getting the hint that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Fine, goodnight." She says as she turns around to walk into the bathroom.

He grunts a halfhearted goodnight in response.

.

.

.

Pulling a navy sweater over her head and zipping up white washed jeans, the rosette slips on black pumps and heads out the door very quietly.

She was out like a light and slept like a baby, but forced herself to wake up at dawn so that she could get ready for work and slip out without waking the two agents who had basically crashed at her place.

She had left the both of them a short note telling them that she'd gone to work and not to worry about her or make a mess while she was gone.

Her conversation with Gaara the night before was the only thing occupying her mind.

And after thinking about it all morning she had a decision.

The small bell dings as the rosette steps through the doors of the pediatrician's office.

"Sakura!" TenTen says brightly, a large smile on her lips as she greets her coworker from her seat across the reception desk.

Sakura mirrors a smile of her own.

"Hi TenTen." She replies cheerfully, walking over to the reception desk.

"Oh my goodness did you hear what happened downtown yesterday? It's all over the news!" She says pointing her finger past Sakura to the T.V. hung in the waiting room, which was switched on to channel 7 news.

Sakura turns her head around to see the whole scene that she had seen with her own eyes just the day before unravel right now. The cameras had zoomed in on the black helicopter and the back of Sasuke's head as he was climbing onto the ladder, making his great escape.

She listened a little to catch that the news was calling it a robbery and that Sasuke Uchiha had no other choice but to escape via helicopter in order to save his company.

She felt her face pale.

Not daring to look anymore she averts her eyes and looks back at the brunette.

"Crazy huh?" TeTen inquires.

Sakura nods her head slowly, a lump forming in her throat.

Looking at TenTen, and her two simple buns and carefree shining eyes, Sakura was…envious.

The brunette had no idea what yesterday was even about, let alone why Sasuke Uchiha was escaping on a helicopter. The news was covering the story up calling it a robbery, and Tenten bought it. She probably didn't even care that much about it, she wasn't involved with these people…with this mess.

On the other hand, Sakura knew everything. She knew all the insights on what was going on at the Uchiha Corporations. She knew about secret organizations about all these things that weren't ever going to be public knowledge.

She knew _too_ much.

That's why she had to make a choice.

"TenTen there's something I need to tell you." The rosette says, biting her lower lip nervously.

The brunette's bubbly eyes turn serious as she looks at Sakura intently.

"What's wro-"

"I'm quitting my job here." Sakura blurts out.

The brunette blinks her chocolate eyes a few times before the information sinks in.

"What?! Sakura, why this is your dream job isn't it?" TenTen asks hastily, shooting up from her chair and slamming her palms down on the desk demanding a reasonable explanation.

Sakuar feels her heart sink into her stomach.

"I-I got another job offer." She responds quietly

It wasn't a total lie.

TenTen scrutinizes her.

"You know, you've been acting strange ever since you met that blonde haired guy…" She begins, but Sakura is quick to cut her off before she elaborates more on the topic.

"It has nothing to do with him TenTen, I just …I just need some change. I've been working this job ever since I got out of college." She says, playing with the ends of her pink hair to look nonchalant when really on the inside she could collapse in a second from anxiety.

She needed to make sure TenTen would never be involved in any of this.

Sakura couldn't let a friend get involved in a mess like this.

The brunette nods her head as if actually taking her words into consideration.

"That's true, but why so sudden? You could have at least told me." She says pouting like a child as she pulls her chair back in and takes a seat, "How long have you known about this?" TenTen asks, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand.

"I got the job just last night actually."

Once again, not a complete lie.

Her friend rubs her temples before a small smile curls on her lips.

"Well, I'm not happy about you leaving this office but if it's something that will make you happy then I guess I have no choice but to support you."

Sakura blinks, taken aback by her response.

A warm feeling bubbles in her chest.

"Thank you TenTen, you're a good friend." She smiles.

Tenten returns her smile and stands up to hug her bff. She was gonna miss the pinkette, a lot.

After their long and tight embrace, the two break away.

The brunette smiles at Sakura before her eyes turn sharp.

Sakura gulps.

"But we better keep in touch, if not I'm finding you out and dragging you back here." She says in a serious tone. She's joking but Sakura knows all too well that she would do it in a heartbeat.

Sweat drops down the side of Sakura's face.

"I promise." She responds, earning a giggle from TenTen.

"Good! TenTen chirps happily, her cold façade completely dropping.

"Besides, me getting a different job doesn't mean that we can't have our weekly brunches or movie binges together!" Sakura says happily. Sure she won't see Tenten everyday, but she won't let another job ruin their friendship.

"Awh! We're so cute!" The brunette squeals walking back to her desk.

"I'll talk to you later Tenten, I need to formally resign, aka tell the devil herself I'm quitting." Sakura shudders. Tsunade will have her head for leaving, but then again she might cry. Depends on what day she's having today.

"Good luck doing that." Tenten giggles.

"Speaking of Tsunade, I need to get back to work, good luck at your new job!" The brunette shines, her hands already on the keyboard as she begins to type away and her attention is on her computer screen.

The rosette only feels her heart sink as she watches TenTen return to her work.

She was going to miss her best friend.

.

.

.

A crumpled note is chucked into the living room and falls to the floor.

"So I guess she isn't joining us." Gaara mumbles under his breath he stands from the bed and stretches his sore shoulders. He was still absolutely exhausted but was surprised that he was actually able to get a decent amount of sleep.

He frowns as he catches his reflection in the mirror. Most of his bruises have disappeared and he was left with a few scratches on his face.

Yawning, he proceeds to change into a classy fitted black button up, a maroon dress shirt, black pants, black dress shoes, and accessorizes such as an expensive gold watch. He flies a hand through his hair before entering the living/kitchen area.

Immediately the sounds of snores dance around the room and hit the redhead's eardrums.

He looks to his right to see his comrade lying with a blanket over himself on the couch snoring away. His blonde hair was flying all over the place and there was drool sliding down his chin.

Gaara shivers in disgust.

He walks over to the kitchen, grabs a spatula, and nudges the blonde with it far too disgusted to let his clean fingers touch his dirty partner.

Naruto snorts a little before his eyes flutter open and he lets out a discomforted groan. He blinks his eyes to focus them and what he sees causes his brow to rise in confusion and amusement.

"Why the hell are you hitting me with a spatula?" The blonde asks, his blue eyes fixated on the redhead who currently is jabbing his side with a spatula.

"You're filthy, I didn't want to touch you." He responds like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto rolls his eyes, throwing the blanket off of himself and sitting up so that he can stretch his sore arms.

Gaara places the spatula on the coffee table and his eyes trail to the stitches on the blonde's calf.

"How's your leg?" He asks.

Naruto looks over at his leg, completely forgetting that he had been shot just the day before. He looks at the stitches with confused blue eyes.

"You did this?" He asks, his memories from the night before hazy.

Why can't he remember anything?

Gaara shakes his head.

"Sakura did." He responds, picking up the spatula and heading into the kitchen.

Naruto's eyes widen.

Sakura did this? He knew that she was a nurse, but he didn't think she could heal him up so well. He barely even felt pain in his leg.

He marvels at his leg looking at the intricate stitching.

"She really is amazing." Naruto breathes in awe.

Gaara snorts as he opens the fridge and pulls out some fresh fruit.

"Like she'll ever fall for a cripple." He jokes, earning a pillow to the face but he swiftly ducks causing the pillow to hit the counter and then fall helplessly to the floor.

"Shut up." Naruto pouts, lifting his leg up to see if it hurts.

It doesn't.

"Think you can stand?" Gaara asks, popping some blueberries into his mouth as he comes over and takes a seat on the love chair, his legs resting on the coffee table.

Naruto swings his legs over and pushes himself off of the couch. He's a little wobbly at first, but after shaking out both legs and bending his knees a few times he's able to walk around the apartment with ease.

"You're definitely jealous of me." He smirks Gaara's way as he stands in front of him.

Gaara snorts, throwing a blueberry at his face which Naruto skillfully catches with his mouth.

"Healing fast is nothing compared to having a brain." He retorts, smirking as Naruto squints his eyes.

"I hate you." He responds childishly and sticks his tongue out at the redhead who just continues eating his blueberries.

Suddenly the blonde remembers something and his eyes scan around the apartment.

"Where's Sakura?"

Gaara pops another blueberry in his mouth, and points to the crumpled note on the floor by the bedroom door.

Naruto raises a brow at him.

He walks over and picks it up. Unfolding the small piece of paper he scans the note.

"Do you know when she gets back?" He asks, discarding the note in the trash while he does so.

Gaara shrugs.

"Doesn't matter, we have to leave soon anyways." He says, eating the last blueberry from the container.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asks, feeling his heart sink a little.

Were they going to be leaving Sakura behind? Why is their relocation so sudden?

Gaara opens his mouth to respond but is interrupted by the sudden opening of the front door, revealing the rosette.

She stops at the doorway in shock to see the blonde on his feet.

Sakura looks up and her eyes meet Naruto's.

Her breathing hitches in her throat and she feels her knees go weak.

"Y-You're…h-how?" Sakura stammers, her eyes turning to the size of watermelons as she sees Naruto standing in ripped up pants and no shirt.

Keyword,

_Standing._

The rosette feels all color drain from her face.

"Hi Sakura-chan!" Naruto chirps brightly, giving her a little wave.

Gaara smirks at Sakura's dazed expression.

A vein pops on Sakura's forehead as her shock turns into anger.

"Don't 'Hey Sakura-chan' me! Why on earth are you up and walking around?!" She reprimands, waving a finger at him angrily as she stomps over to him, rolling up a sleeve.

Sweat drops down the side of Naruto's face.

"I-I'm fine Sakura, really!" He pleads, waving his hands in front of his chest in defense.

She raises a fist to clobber him, but halts when her eyes travel down his body and land on his calf.

What she sees causes a shiver to race down her spine.

"This isn't real." She breathes in surprise.

The wound, which was bloody as hell not even twenty-four hours ago, was close to healed. It looks nothing like an open wound, but more like a really bad paper cut with stiches. A wound this bad should've taken weeks to heal. In fact, he shouldn't even have been able to stand without the support of crutches!

Just how the heck was this even possible?!

"Does it hurt?" She asks, looking into his bright blue eyes.

The blonde shakes his head.

"Not at all. It feels good as new, thanks Sakura!" He says brightly, a toothy smile on his lips.

Sakura feels her cheeks flush a little.

"Y-You're welcome idiot." She mutters, averting her eyes trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

Naruto snickers at Sakura and throws his hands behind his head.

"How did this even heal so quickly?" She asks, before her eyes turn into a glare, "You didn't overdose on meds did you?" She asks sternly, ready to actually hit him on the head this time. But not any meds that she knows of can heal a wound so quickly.

Naruto shakes his head.

"No, uh I heal fast… it's in my genes or something." He says quickly, and Sakura raises a brow at his stammer but decides to drop it.

Gaara clears his throat, interrupting the two's little moment.

Sakura, remembering he's in the room, whips her head towards him and is about to open her mouth when Gaara quickly interrupts her.

"So you've come to a decision then?" he asks calmly.

Sakura nods confidently. She knew this was that right choice. Like Gaara said before, she could be a valuable asset to the team. She couldn't just not be involved after all that's happened, and she chose to use her skills and knowledge to benefit the greater good.

"Good."Gaara says as he gets up and dusts himself off.

"What's happening?" Naruto asks clearly confused.

"Naruto, I want you to welcome the third member of our team." Gaara smirks as he sees the blonde's eyes widen.

"Sakura you're going to join our team?" Naruto asks, trying to hide how overjoyed he is.

The rosette nods.

"Yeah, as your personal medic." Sakura says with a hint of pride.

A warm feeling settles in Naruto's chest as he thinks of having Sakura on the team.

The redhead clears his throat.

"Well now that the teams all here, our flight to Paris leaves in 15 minutes." Gaara says nonchalantly, standing from his seat and looking at the two.

Naruto smiles brightly, pumping a fist in the air.

Sakura on the other hand…

"PARIS? 15 MINUTES? WHAT?!"

* * *

**a / n: **

_I had so much fun writing this chapter! _

_I really like where this story is heading and I have so many plans for...PARIS! eeeek!_

_Please leave a review and let me know what you think! They mean the world to me!_

_Thanks for the endless support._

_Xoxo_

_Until next chapter, toodles~_


	17. Chapter 17: MARRIED?

**a / n:**

_OMG I'M UPDATING IT'S A MIRACLE._

_Sorry guys it's been such a long time, but I hadn't really been in the mood to write lately. School and stupid drama. :/ _

_Anywho I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! GO NARUSAKU!_

_XOXO_

* * *

"_Sakura meet us at the Manhattan Airport in 10."_

That's what Gaara had instructed her to do before the two exited her apartment in a hurry. She remembered Naruto giving her a squeeze on the shoulder and whispering, "See you there."

And now she was entering the airport in baggy sweatpants, worn out sneakers, and a tight fitted sports sweatshirt. Her short pink hair was pinned up in a messy bun.

She knew for sure that the flight was going to be over six hours, so why dress nice?

Wheeling her suitcase, which looked dangerously close to popping open, she tried to spot the two agents whom she was sure looked like two homeless people.

She hears rapid footsteps from behind before a hand lands on her shoulder.

Turning around she sees a panting Naruto and Gaara typing something into his cellphone.

Her eyes widen at the two.

They were both dressed in slick black fitted suits, golden watches on their wrists, and both of their hair was gelled neatly for the occasion. It looked like they were going to a formal dinner, not to sit on a plane for nearly a whole day.

Looking back at her own outfit, she felt completely underdressed.

"Sakura, hey sorry were you waiting long?" Naruto asks.

Sakura shakes her head.

"We don't have time for small talk, come on." Gaara says quickly, beginning to walk away from the two.

Naruto and Sakura follow behind.

As they walk through the airport Sakura realizes that everyone stops to stare at the boys whereas they give her dirty looks and scowl at her.

"Sakura, nice outfit." Gaara smirks, earning a death glare from the rosette.

"No one told me we were dressing business casual." She retorts, looking grumpily at the two.

Naruto laughs whereas Gaara snickers to himself at his witty joke.

Sakura rolls her eyes.

They speed through the airport until they make it to the lower level and head outside where they walk to a medium sized jet.

Sakura raises a brow.

It was a slick black jet with a swirly white symbol on the wing. The word "Uzumaki" swiped in big white letters across the jet.

"Is this…" Sakura begins.

"A private jet?" Naruto finishes for her, a smirk on his lips at her bewilderment.

Sakura nods, admiring the plane. She'd never flown on a private jet, never really imagined it either.

As they approach the jet, the doors to it open and a staircase descends from the plane's doors.

A woman, who looks just about the same age as Sakura perhaps a little older, with short cut brown hair and hazel eyes waves to the three. She's wearing a black blazer with a black pencil skirt and gold jewelry that looks overly expensive decorates her neck and wrists.

Once again Sakura feels homeless.

"Finally! Get your butt up on this plane we leave in five minutes." She commands, tapping her foot impatiently as she scowls.

Gaara mutters something under his breath about "stupid woman" whereas Naruto looks at her confused.

"Who is that?" He whispers to Sakura as the two climb up the stairs.

Sakura raises her hand in a confused manner.

"How am I supposed to know?" She replies, slightly concerned that the blonde doesn't know who this woman is.

Shouldn't he know? It's his company after all.

Once inside the plane, and seeing as the brunette and Gaara are engaged in a serious conversation, Sakura's eyes widen with admiration at the interior.

The plane has a fluffy beige carpet that is spotless and looks brand new. To the right, against three large square windows is a white couch that sits across from the plasma screen TV. There's also a smaller couch that's placed against beige colored wall that separates the living room area from the kitchen. In the kitchen there's a small refrigerator, a few counters with a sink. Everything looks so new and top notch. From the kitchen another wall separates it from the bedroom, which has a large fluffy bed and an attached bathroom.

Sakura was beyond astonished.

The rosette had thought that she was going to sit in some crammed seat next to Naruto and Gaara and some strangers.

This is not what she had in mind.

"Like it?" Naruto asks, wheeling in his suitcase and placing it near the couch, which he proceeds to sit on and prop his feet up on the coffee table.

Sakura nods, not able to find the right words as she continues to marvel.

Gaara emerges from the pilot's room, lugging his suitcase behind, and places it next to Naruto's.

He takes out a glass bottle of liquor from the inside pocket of his jacket and unscrews the cap. Taking a seat on the other couch, he takes a large swig of his alcohol.

The brunette emerges from the pilot's room shortly after, stretching her arms over her head as she walks into the area the three are seated in.

She stands right in front of Sakura, giving her this scrutinizing type of stare that causes the rosette to feel slightly uncomfortable. That is before her chocolate eyes turn brighter than any diamond Sakura has ever seen.

"So you must be Sakura!" She beams, giving the rosette a hug.

Stiffening at the sudden contact, Sakura laughs nervously and looks at Naruto and Gaara over her shoulder with a "who is touching me right now" type of face.

"That's me." She says awkwardly, giving her this super uncomfortable hug back.

The brunette lets go of the rosette and sheepishly rubs the back of her neck.

"Sorry, got a little excited there. It's just I'm FINALLY not the only girl who's part of this little squad," She motions to Naruto and Gaara, "Do you know how hard it is being the only girl?! It's like living with two animals sometimes."

"Hey!" Naruto says, slightly hurt as he places a hand dramatically to his heart.

Gaara takes another swig of his drink.

Sakura nods, confused as to what is going on.

"So you're a team…?" She asks, raising a brow. She'd never seen this woman before and the two have never mentioned her before.

The woman nods before realization hits her. Her features darken significantly as she turns her back to glower at the two agents who are lounged out on the furniture.

"Did you two seriously forget to mention me?" She says with a calmed voice, but Sakura can tell that the venom is there and she feels a shiver run down her spine.

"Minor details slip my mind sometimes." Gaara responds, smirking as he takes another swig of his drink.

Sakura can tell that it's clearly sarcastic.

Naruto on the other hand looks just as confused about the woman as Sakura is.

_Wait, why is he confused?! _Sakura wonders.

The brunette huffs, before spinning around and giving Sakura a brilliant smile.

"Well, I'm Matsuri. I organize all of the missions. Places to stay, travel arrangements, all that good stuff."

Sakura only gets her name as she can't help but notice just how stunning Matsuri's teeth are. They're so white Sakura can't help but envy her. This woman was brilliantly beautiful.

It made her feel even more homeless.

"It's nice to meet you too, Matsuri." She replies politely, returning a smile.

Matsuri's phone buzzes and she pulls it out from the inside pocket of her blazer.

"Just a quick call before we take flight," She turns to look at the boys, "I'll be back in a second." She responds, heading back into the pilot's room with her phone already pressed to her ear and a serious tone of voice coming from her lips.

"Sakura," Naruto whispers loudly. The rosette looks over at him with a raised brow.

"Pssssssssst." He cups his hands over his mouth so that Sakura can hear. She rolls her eyes.

Sakura rolls her suitcase next to his and places it there before taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"What?" She replies, also finding herself whispering.

Why they were whispering when Gaara could clearly hear them? She had no idea.

"Do you think they have a lot of snacks on this flight?" He asks, his eyes already sparkling at the thought.

Sakura sighs.

This was going to be a long flight.

.

.

.

An hour into their flight and Sakura was beyond confused as she sat next to her blonde haired companion baffling at the sight before them.

After Matsuri's return from the pilot room and the plane's departure, she took a seat next to Gaara. And the rest was history.

At first the four decided that they'd discuss their mission plans once they were close to Paris so that they could have a few hours to relax, which Sakura greatly appreciated. She needed a little relaxation before things got hectic again.

But, she did not expect sitting with widened eyes and just staring at the small and…weird interactions between Gaara and Matsuri.

It wasn't like anything was bizarre, but the two were exchanging small (possibly flirty Sakura couldn't quite hear it too well) conversations and at one point: listen closely to this.

At one point it seemed that Gaara's foot touched hers.

Yes, they're feet touched. Foot to foot action.

It wasn't so baffling to Sakura but Naruto was practically vomiting out his little cheese crackers at the sight. As if they were having a heated make out session or something.

So now, the four were all watching some television show that Sakura and Naruto weren't paying attention to and Gaara and Matsuri were touching toes and their eyes were glued to the screen as they exchanged words in hushed voices.

"What is going on?" Naruto says slowly, as if not believing the sight before his eyes.

Sakura rolls her eyes.

"Naruto I get that you think Gaara is anti-social, and believe me I don't blame you, but seriously his toe is touching hers and they're both wearing shoes. I don't think you need to make twenty theories on this. You're being paranoid." She explains, hoping that he'll stop bugging her and let her sleep.

After not getting a response from him, she rests her head on the back of the couch and shuts her lids.

"Sakura, psssst."

Her eyes twitches, but she keeps them closed hoping he'll leave her alone.

"Sakuraaaaa."

She feels him poke her shoulder.

"WHAT." She hisses through her teeth, opening her eyes to glare at him.

Naruto shrugs.

"I'm bored."

She clobbers him with a pillow.

"GREAT I'M SO GLAD I NOW KNOW THIS INFORMATION." She yells, not caring if Naruto suffocates from having the pillow pressed up against his face.

"Will you two quit flirting already?" Gaara teases, looking over his shoulder at the two.

Sakura huffs in annoyance, her cheeks turning red as she drops the pillow and plops back down in her seat on the couch.

Naruto rubs his cheek.

"Man, if this is flirting Sakura you suck at it." He says, earning some sputtering noise from the rosette.

"I-I'm not flirting!" She stammers, feeling the heat rush over her cheeks.

"Sakura you look like a girl with experience, surely you can do better than this." Matsuri joins in on the teasing, a mischievous smirk on her lips.

Sakura's jaw drops to the floor at her remark.

_EXPERIENCE?!_

_WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!_

She was just about ready to jump out of the window from embarrassment.

"I'm not flirting!" She says, but the redness of her cheeks says otherwise.

"Besides," She continues," What's up with you two?" Sakura scrutinizes pointing a finger at Gaara and Matsuri.

At this Naruto nods feverishly.

"Yeah, Matsuri who even are you? I didn't know you were part of our team." The blonde says bluntly.

At this Sakura face palms.

_That idiot, can he at least try to be polite?_

Matsuri on the other hand raises a brow and looks over at Gaara.

"He's not serious right?" She laughs and Gaara shakes his head in disappointment.

"Unfortunately, I think he's dead serious." The redhead responds and Matsuri nods slowly, her eyes setting back on the blonde.

"Well…" She begins but is caught off when Naruto jumps out of his seat and points a finger at her.

"You're the lady that worked at the front desk of our apartment!" He says, a wide grin on his lips that he'd figured it out.

Not like the information told anyone anything important but for Naruto it was impressive that he could remember such a fact.

Matsuri nods awkwardly.

"Yes, that was me." She responds, shifting in her seat.

Naruto smiles.

"So, how do you know Gaara? You two seem like you've known each other before today." The blonde says, and Sakura grabs his elbow pulling him down to take a seat.

He was blocking her view and she wanted to see just what Matsuri's answer would be.

Again, she laughed.

"You really have no idea?" She laughs, but when Sakura and Naruto only give her blank looks of pure confusion the brunette's laugh falters.

Then, with a hint of anger in her eyes she turns to Gaara.

"You seriously didn't tell them?"

Gaara shrugs.

"Sakura has no idea, but I don't know what Naruto's excuse is." Gaara says, taking a swig of his drink.

Naruto squints at the redhead.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

Gaara sighs, rubbing his temples.

"We're married."

. . .

"WHAT?!" Naruto and Sakura yell in unison. The two practically fall off of the couch from shock.

Naruto's blue eyes look as if they're going to roll out of his head.

"When?! Why don't I know about this!" Naruto says, clearly flabbergasted as his hands are moving in all different directions as he speaks.

Sakura can't believe it herself. She would have never guessed Gaara…the romantic type.

"You were invited to the wedding, you idiot." Matsuri says, huffing in annoyance.

At this Naruto's jaw drops to the floor.

"No I wasn't!" He exclaims.

"You were supposed to be the best man." Gaara adds.

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me about it?" He says and Sakura can't help but stifle a laugh at Naruto's facial expressions.

The whole situation was ridiculous but so…_Naruto._ Only he could forget the wedding of his best friend, or worst throw away the wedding invitation.

"I did, sent you an invitation. You never responded so I figured you didn't want to go." Gaara shrugs.

"We have been married for a year now…" Matsuri says sheepishly, a glow of pink on her cheeks.

Naruto only stares in shock.

"I don't even know who you are anymore." He says over dramatically and Gaara rolls his eyes.

Sakura elbows him in the ribs.

"What he meant to say is congratulations. And I say it too, really I'm happy for the two of you." She smiles warmly although she feels just as weird about the information as Naruto does considering Gaara slept in her bed one time and he never even mentioned that he's married.

Not like they asked but still it'd be nice to know.

What other secrets was he hiding? Sakura wondered.

"Thank you Sakura." Matsuri smiles, answering for both her and her husband.

The four fall into a silence as they return back to watching tv, that is until Naruto shoots up from his seat again and points a finger at the couple.

"GAARA WERE YOU DRUNK WHEN YOU MARRIED HER AT SOME WEIRD BAR-"

This time Matsuri beats Sakura to clobbering the blonde and sending him flying into the wall of the plane.

"DON'T JOKE AROUND ABOUT SOMEONES MARRIAGE LIKE THAT WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS DO YOU THINK WE ARE." She yells, grabbing the pillow from the couch and smacking him with it as they run around the plane, Naruto yelling curse words as he runs from the brunette.

Gaara only snickers, taking a swig of his alcoholic drink.

"Only a little."


	18. PERSONAL UPDATE (not a ch)

*** awakwardly waddles in ***

Erm, hey guys.

So I haven't really been updating this story for quite a while…I'm really sorry about that. I just haven't really been feeling like writing it for quite a while, BUT that doesn't mean I don't want to finish it.

I would still like to continue this story as I have a LOT of ideas for it. But, since the Naruto fandom is like I don't even know anymore I personally feel like narusaku is slowly dying…* sad tears *

Would you guys still like me to continue this story?

I personally will if y'all want, but as of right now I just feel like Naruto as an anime is kind of destroyed for me. That ending just…well you get the hint.

So yeah, leave a review letting me know if you'd like to see this story finished and I will try my hardest to get a chapter up to you guys by February or something like that.

XOXO

Sophie


	19. Chapter 18: Paris

**a/ n:**

_I finally present to you, after a long and annoying wait, CHAPTER 18._

_Sorry it's been so long guys *nervous laughter* heheh..._

_BUT LIKE THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT. Seriously you have no idea how much it means to me and motivated me to keep on writing. The reason I wanted to stop was because the story just felt dead and I felt like the fandom was dying but WAS I WRONG. You guys are incredible okay? Yes, you over there._

_LOVE YOU._

_XOXO_

* * *

The rest of the plane ride had gone smoothly.

That is before she was rudely awakened by a loud blonde shaking her shoulders and whispering her name annoyingly in her ear.

"WHAT NARUTO." She shouts, a vein popping on her forehead as she grabs the pillow underneath her head and slams it on top of her head to hide the light shining into the room and the noise of the blonde's voice muffling.

"Sakura, get up we're landing soon." He says, grabbing the pillow and swiftly pulling it off of her head exposing her rose colored locks.

She groans, curling up into a ball as she relishes her fleeting moments of sleep. The team, or whatever it was called, had decided that Sakura could take the bedroom unit all to herself since she was new and of course at first she declined the polite offer, just to be polite, but after much persuasion she decided "to hell with it why not?"

And boy did she have a comfortable sleep in silky sheets that basically soothed her whole tired and aching body to sleep. It was heavenly.

Naruto opens his mouth to speak again, finding it harder than he had expected to wake the sleeping rosette, when suddenly the door to the bedroom flings open and a smiling brunette enters carrying sweet scented delights along with hazelnut flavored coffee.

Sakura's eyes shoot open immediately upon inhaling the sweet and mouth-watering scent.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty croissants and hot coffee coming your way." Matsuri says brightly, walking over to the bed with the tray and placing it in Sakura's lap.

The rosette, now sitting up in bed, looks at the food hungrily.

"Wow, this looks amazing thank you Matsuri." Sakura thanks the brunette with a warm smile before grabbing the chocolate covered croissant and taking a bite.

Naruto scowls.

"Food, dang why didn't I think of that?" He mutters to himself and Matsuri laughs.

"It works on Gaara everytime."

The blonde makes a disgusted face.

"The fact that you two are married still freaks me out." He visibly shudders, and Sakura rolls her eyes.

_Idiot._

Only Naruto would forget his best friend was married.

Matsuri sighs.

"Better get used to it Uzumaki." A deep masculine voice says from the door.

All eyes look over to see Gaara buttoning a white collared shirt as he leans against the doorframe.

The strong smell of men's cologne fills the room. Now that she realizes Gaara's attire, she also notices that Matsuri's hair is curled and she has on a full face of makeup.

Were they going somewhere?

"Uzumaki, why aren't you dressed? Haruno why the hell are you still in bed? Plane lands in fifteen." Gaara instructs, buttoning the last button all the way up to the collar.

The croissant practically falls out of her mouth.

"Chop-chop!" Matsuri claps her hands together. Turning her attention away from her previously shirtless husband, don't think Sakura didn't notice Matsuri ogling him, and onto the rosette.

"Why don't we get you into something nice?" She smiles.

The brunette turns around, bumping into the side of Naruto.

"Naruto! In the shower, come on GO." She commands, and the blonde practically trips over himself racing towards the bathroom.

"Sheesh, women are scary." He mutters as he closes the bathroom door.

"Damn straight!" Gaara yells from the other room.

Matsuri rolls her eyes.

Sakura watches as she opens the closet and an assortment of expensive looking dresses is revealed. She can't help but admire from her seat on the bed.

How can they afford all of this?

"Hmm, I think this will suit you." Matsuri says as she tosses a creamy white off the shoulder long sleeved dress onto the bed.

Sakura stares at it.

"Matsuri do you have anything….else?" She asks hesitantly, noticing that the dress looks a little out of her comfort zone. She never was one to wear dresses that really hugged her body.

"What? No you'll look fine." Matsuri says nonchalantly as she slips off her silky pajama shirt.

Sakura blinks a few times in surprise before covering her eyes.

"Matsuri what are you doing?!" She yells, trying to give the brunette some privacy as she stood in her bra.

"What? You've never been in a girl's locker room?" The brunette teases, and in the mean time slips off her pajama pants.

Sakura lowers her hands from her eyes hesitantly.

As much as she tries not to stare, it's kind of hard.

Matsuri is perfect. Body goals, check. Face goals, check. Relationship goals, (Naruto would think otherwise) check.

She flips her curled hair perfectly, it practically shimmers with golden sparkles as if it was in a L'Oreal commercial, and she slips on a solid black tight turtleneck dress that stops a little above her knees. Its long sleeves cover her long tan arms and Sakura can't help but notice how perfectly the dress hugs her curves.

"Matsuri, you look amazing!" Sakura squeals, the feeling of bubbliness arising within her as if she was a teenager getting ready with her best friend for some kind of a big school dance.

"You're a peach," She says sweetly, before coming over and holding up the dress that she'd picked out for Sakura, "But, come on put this on you're going to look stunning!"

Matsuri's enthusiastic and bubbly attitude must've rubbed off on Sakura because before she knows it the two are standing in front of the mirror dressed in dresses that are a little sexy but conservative all at the same time. And of course they're squealing with excitement over how cute they look.

"Thank you for letting me wear this, I feel bad that I have to borrow it." Sakura says shyly, realizing that her outfits are nothing compared to these.

Matsuri can't help but laugh.

"Oh hush, don't even worry about it. Besides you're a part of our team, we're all friends here." She smiles and Sakura returns the smile.

"Why are we dressing up anyways?" The rosette asks, noticing, as it's six in the morning Paris time.

"Oh right, I never got a chance to explain. We're heading to an Alliance meeting once we leave the plane we go to the corporation building to meet with our superiors to talk about what we'll be doing here."

Sakura nods, but nervous feelings form in her stomach. She was going to meet all of these secret agents as the girl who got caught up in the mess on accident. What will they think of her? Will they be upset with her for knowing Sasuke? Will Naruto and Gaara get in trouble for telling her their secrets?

"Sakura, hey." Matsuri says softly, noticing the look of distress in the rosette's emerald eyes. The brunette gently takes Sakura's hands in hers and gives them a tight squeeze.

"Don't stress, everyone will love you." She smiles, and a surprised expression glazes across the rosette's features before she nods, swallowing back her worries.

"Thanks Matsuri." She smiles.

Matsuri nods, returning the smile.

"Matsuri, come help me with my tie." Gaara says from the doorframe, a maroon tie in one hand as he looks at her with playful eyes. Surely that's not all he wants at the moment either.

"A grown man and you still don't know how to tie a tie. Is this some sort of a pickup line I'm too stupid to recognize or something?" She flirtatiously jokes, following him out of the bedroom and into the living room area.

Sakura watches the two go, secret envy for their too cute relationship bubbling in her chest. Why couldn't her love life be like theirs?

The doorknob to the bathroom doors turns and Sakura turns around to be greeted with a shirtless Naruto standing in the doorframe of the bathroom, with steam from the shower escaping the foggy bathroom.

Sakura gasps, bringing her palms up to cover her eyes.

"Ah, Sakura you're still in here." Naruto says awkwardly, clearing his throat.

The rosette nods, separating her fingers a little to peek through the holes to get a look at him.

Yup, his body was quite the image. With a perfectly toned chest and just the right size of arm and shoulder muscle Sakura couldn't help but admire. Not to mention that his hair was disheveled in all different directions and still dripping wet.

But, something caught her eye. All of the wounds from the night before they were…gone. It was miraculous, impossible. His leg…that awful wound…healed. Sakura couldn't believe her own two eyes.

Sakura brings her hands down, and they drop to her sides. Her whole body feels numb from shock.

"How…how are all of your wounds…gone?" Sakura asks, taking slow steps towards him.

"I heal quick." He says, but the hint of hesitation in his voice is proof to Sakura that he's hiding something.

She doesn't know what compels her to do what she does next, she just does it.

Reaching him, and being slightly closer than usual she stares at his chest and at the barely visible scar that is on his left pectoral. It must've been from the night before, but she would've thought this scar was from years ago if she didn't know any better.

In awe, she examines it and then without thinking traces it with her index finger.

Slowly.

She feels the roughness of his skin underneath her finger, the callused skin that had to form to heal the wound. She feels his heartbeat drumming against her finger; it's slightly heightened pounding.

"S-Sakura…" He stammers, not sure what to do.

The rosette looks up to meet his eyes, wonder and curiosity in her orbs as she furrows her brows.

"How is this possible?" She asks, backing away.

Naruto immediately notices the absence of her warm and gentle touch from his body. He almost wishes she just left it there, only for a few more moments.

"Naruto, tell me how this is possible? It's only been a day and a half I don't…I don't understand."

The blonde swallows thickly. A little piece of him is disappointed that she only approached him to examine his wound and not out of some romantic desire, not like he was that type of a guy but still having a beautiful woman like Sakura care for you…

He shakes the thought out of his head. No, that didn't matter now. Maybe it would never matter.

Sakura didn't see him like that…right?

"Naruto, please explain." Sakura pleads, her voice a little shaky. She's beyond stunned. This was unnatural, not human.

It scared her. Not much, but enough to make her skeptical.

"I just heal quick. Genetics." He explains, trying to keep a casual and cool composure as he shrugs.

Sakura shakes her head.

"No, this isn't natural. Your body can't physically heal this quickly." She shakes her head, seeing through his lie completely.

Naruto feels sweat form on his palms as he realizes she's skeptical of him.

So, when he's nervous what does he do? He laughs.

"I'll explain once we're at the hotel…I'm kind of naked right now." He chuckles, pointing down to the towel.

Sakura feels her cheeks turn red.

"R-Right."

She scurries out the door.

.

.

.

Sakura couldn't keep her eyes from the sights outside of the limo's window. And yes, Gaara rented a limo. And yes, Matsuri yelled at him for bringing attention to them.

Nonetheless, the city of Paris was beautiful. It's architecture and culture seemed to be overflowing and basking in beauty under the morning sun. People were already on the move, most likely heading to work or school, and it just seemed so alive. She loved it.

It was surreal. To think she was actually in Paris. Sakura felt like she was dreaming.

"See, I told you I could do it." Gaara boasts proudly, snapping her out of her thoughts and her attention away from the window and towards the redhead, as he sticks out his tongue revealing the stem of the cherry twisted into a neat knot.

"This is how he won me over, take notes." Matsuri laughs, nudging the blonde on the shoulder playfully.

Naruto turns a light shade of red, muttering something inaudibly under his breath.

"Gaara, what else can that mouth of yours do?" The brunette teases, obviously in a flirtatious manner.

"Complain."

At this Sakura bursts out in giggles, noticing the irritated expression on Matsuri's features and Naruto covers his mouth to muffle his laughter.

Gaara's flirting skills? 0/10.

The limo driver rolls down the little window connecting the separate sections and announces that they have arrived at their destination.

The four exit the limo, clearly attracting far too much attention as passerby's stop to stare at the group with looks of awe, as if the group were some kind of celebrities.

Sakura just felt like hiding, never had she felt like the center of attention. Especially in a foreign country.

She feels a hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft squeeze of reassurance.

"Let's head inside." Naruto says to the group and smiles a crooked grin down to the rosette.

"Don't be nervous, you look amazing." He reassures her, giving her one last squeeze on the shoulder. And with that, he steps in front of her, heading into the large corporation building that towers way overhead.

Sakura feels a tingling sensation from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. Not to mention her heart seems to have stopped beating inside of her chest.

Was it the fact that he thought she looked amazing that made her feel this way? Or the simple fact that he seemed to have noticed her hesitation and reassured her almost immediately?

Shaking her head, she ignores the feelings and steps through the revolving doors into the building.

The inside is simply breathtaking.

A large white crystal chandelier hangs from the high ceilings giving the room the illusion that it's much larger than it actually is. In contrast to the Uchiha corporation building, the interior is brighter and feels much lighter, happier. There are more colors, although it still appears to be sophisticated. It's inviting.

As inviting as it seems, the building seems far too upscale for her liking. She feels like an outsider. Only a few weeks ago was she living in some average apartment complex living like an ordinary Joe. And now here she was living like some sort of a celebrity.

"Gaara-sama." A man says, approaching the four and snapping Sakura out of her thoughts.

She notices that the man is dressed in a yellow collar button up shirt with khaki's and a lazily done navy blue tie. He seems a little out of it with his posture slackened and yawning at least three times in the last twenty seconds. Sakura figured he wasn't the morning type.

"Nara, nice to see you, has been a while." Gaara greets the man, extending a hand in greeting as the two shake hands.

Gaara must have authority over him Sakura figures. Using formalities such as "sama" gives it away. Was he their boss? Did that make Naruto a boss?

"Shikamaru, dude you look like crap. Did you wake up five minutes ago?" Naruto jokes as he laughs and slings an arm around Shikamaru's shoulders.

Shikamaru doesn't even resist as he rolls his eyes.

"Missed you too Naruto."

Yup, definitely not a boss by any means. He's more like the annoying younger sibling.

"Naruto!" Matsuri reprimands, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What?"

"Shikamaru you look amazing, I like the yellow it brings out your eyes." She says politely, a small smile on her lips which quickly turns into a glare and a tight line as her eyes move to Naruto.

"I'm watching you." She says, hands on her hips and glaring into his soul.

Naruto releases Shikamaru and quickly steps to Sakura's side, almost hiding behind her.

Shikamaru sighs.

"What a drag." He mutters to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Sakura awkwardly clears her throat.

"Is there a meeting we're going too?" She asks hesitantly, earning the attention of the four.

Shikamaru raises a brow towards her direction.

"You don't look familiar, you must be Sakura?" He asks, his eyes examining her closely.

Sakura feels her nerves rattle inside of her body as she swallows thickly. She didn't like the look in his eyes. She felt like he was judging her.

"Sakura Haruno. I'm uh, new?" She tries to explain. She's not really sure how to explain her situation, what was she supposed to say?

Shikamaru only nods.

"Don't worry I know who you are," He clears his throat and directs his attention back to Gaara, "We should probably get going the meeting will start soon."

Gaara nods and the group begin to follow Shikamaru down a hallway.

Distracted by the astounding artwork hung up in the halls, Sakura accidentally bumps into someone dropping her rose colored purse in the process.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She exclaims, bending down to grab her dropped item.

Naruto halts in his steps, realizing Sakura's absence from the group. He turns his head to see her grabbing her things.

"Don't be, it's my fault anyways." A deep masculine voice says, and Sakura looks up to see a custodian dressed in a dark blue jumper holding a broom giving her a small apologetic smile.

She nods and bids him a quick farewell.

Naruto watches her walk towards him, but something about the custodian feels off and causes his stomach to churn uncomfortably.

It's not until the custodian looks up and their eyes meet that shivers race down the blonde's spine.

This man's stare. It's intimidating and something about it makes Naruto feel nostalgic. It's as if he's seen those eyes…yet he's never met this man before. It's a paralyzing look and something in his eyes triggers a warp of terrible memories to surface in the blonde's head.

His parent's death.

Feeling as though his body will go into cardiac arrest, the blonde rips his eyes away. He's practically panting from shock and he feels beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

_What was that? _

"Hey Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asks, watching him with careful eyes, her voice distant as if she was miles away.

The blonde snaps out of his odd state and shakes his head.

"Y-Yeah, let's go." He says, turning around to rejoin the group.

When he looks back the man is gone.


	20. Chapter 19: Ugly

**a /n: **

_Hello Loves!_

_uploading from my phone (it's kinda weird not gonna lie) but I hope you guys like this chapter! I actually had it done a while ago...but never got to uploading it. Had a busy month! _

_i'll try to upload more frequently I promise...hehe_

_XOXO_

* * *

Sakura never felt more of an outsider in her whole entire life then does she now.

Being currently seated around a large mahogany oval table with people that looked like professionals in their line of business had her feeling squeamish.

It's like high school all over again. She thinks to herself, remembering just how awfully she fit in there, being the school's book nerd and what not.

Honestly, she'd gotten over that a long time ago and her social anxiety but now…she just felt downright judged. Not saying these people weren't friendly; maybe she was being too hard on herself.

"Sakura, hey you okay?" A worried blonde asks as he takes a seat to her left with two cups of hot coffee in his hands. He slides one of the cups over to her and she gives him a small thanks before bringing the cup to her lips. Maybe this will calm her nerves, probably not.

"I'm fine, stop worrying about me." She says softly.

He raises a brow, not buying it.

She hopes he doesn't question further, not wanting to explain that she shouldn't be here. Was this all a mistake? Coming here and giving up her easy worriless life in Manhatten? She was a pediatrician for Pete's sake! Not some kind of secret agent!

"Naruto!" A giddy blonde haired girl cheers happily as she enters the conference room, her luscious blonde hair bouncing as she rushes to his side. Sakura notes that she's gorgeous, which to her it seems like so far everyone here is pretty good looking. The girl has bright blue eyes and she seems like the type of girl who enjoys being the center of attention, as all eyes turn on her when she enters the room. Not like a lot of people are here yet, just some custodians setting up assortments of sweets and coffee and doing some last minute cleaning along with Gaara and the rest of his "team." Oh, and Shikamaru who is seated in a chair across from Sakura with his feet up on the table and his eyes shut lazily as he snores away.

Excitement bubbles in the unnamed girl's eyes as he seems to recognize her immediately and he stands from his seat.

"Ino!" He shows off his signature-crooked grin as she approaches.

Sakura awkwardly watches from her seat as they stand above her. She notices Ino is also dressed nicely with a navy blue dress that hugs her in all the right places.

Then Ino does something that shocks the both of them.

She slaps Naruto.

"You idiot, what were you thinking running into the Uchiha Corporations building and fighting The Sasuke Uchiha?! Are you insane?" She reprimands loudly, waving her finger in his face as he rubs his red handprint stained cheek.

"Sorry?" He says sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

She sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. Sakura guesses that the two exchange this conversation quite often.

"You're luck you're not dead. I heard you got seriously injured, if it wasn't for your-"

"If it wasn't for Sakura things would've been worse." Naruto says hastily, emphasizing the rosette's name and Sakura notices that he gives Ino "the look" before she catches on and giggles nervously.

"Right!" She claps her hands together, giving her attention to the seated rosette.

Sakura raises a brow at their suspicious behavior. Ino was surely going to say something else about Naruto's healing…but what? What were they hiding?

"Thank you, Sakura for nursing him back to health." She smiles, extending a hand.

Sakura blushes.

"I-It was nothing." She stammers taking her hand and shaking it. Even though she only really cleaned out the wound and stitched it back together, she feels glad that at least people aren't treating her like a burden. Sakura was the only person that stumbled into this mess without being born into it, or whatever, she honestly isn't expecting anyone to be nice to her.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka by the way, I work with," She looks over to Shikamaru with a smile on her face but it quickly vanishes into a frown as she notices that he's literally sleeping…

A vein pops on the top of her forehead.

"One moment." She looks back at Sakura with a tight knit and overly forced smile as she stomps over to Shikamaru and the shouting begins all over again.

Sakura can't help but laugh. It reminds her of how her and Naruto act.

"Ah, that's Ino for you. She goes from angel to demon real quick." Naruto says, a tinge of fear evident in his features as he shudders before sitting back down.

"How long have you known her?" Sakura asks, a little too curious about the two.

Can you blame her? Ino was beautiful and she seemed to have quite the personality, who'd blame Naruto for falling for her.

Not like she cared, obviously.

"Ever since I started, but Shikamaru has been her partner for years now the two are practically inseparable though they admit they hate each other's guts." Naruto snickers and right on cue the couple yell a hardy, "I HATE YOU."

Well, mostly it's just Ino. Shikamaru rolls his eyes lazily and watches her storm off towards Matsuri and Gaara who are discussing something by the door.

For some reason Naruto's words cause the rosettes shoulders to relax.

Weird.

A few more minutes pass and Sakura eyes each person that steps in through the door. Naruto had gotten out of his seat to go greet his friends, who all seemed to either be relieved that he's alive or give him a good reprimand much like Ino's.

Sakura on the other hand decided to stay at her seat. She didn't want to disrupt Naruto's reunion with his friends, besides wasn't this supposed to be a business meeting? When was it supposed to start? They've been waiting around half an hour.

"Ugly." A voice abruptly says behind her causing Sakura to practically jump out of her own skin.

She turns around to lock eyes with a man who looked to be roughly around Sakura's age. She noted that he had deathly pale skin; she wouldn't be surprised if it was the color of a white paper sheet, and eyes that looked like pools of black ink. His hair matched the color of his eyes, contrasting greatly with his pale skin.

He looked awkward, just standing there with a blank expression on his face and zero emotion in his eyes.

"Excuse me?" She asks, remembering what he had said.

"Ugly." He repeats again.

Sakura feels a vein popping on her forehead.

"Are you calling me ugly?" Her voice is low and threateningly violent.

The man simply nods before forming one of the creepiest smiles that she has ever seen someone create. It just didn't fit his face at all. It looked completely forced, or perhaps he was mocking her by creating whatever facial expression he was currently making.

She couldn't bring herself to believe someone could smile so…creepily.

"Yes."

Sakura clenches her fist.

"Being ugly isn't so bad, at least I don't look like a vampire." She spits bitterly, standing from her chair and practically knocking it over from her frustration as she stomps over to where everyone else is talking by the food tables.

"A vampire…I wonder what that is." She hears him murmur to himself.

But, just as she approaches everyone she realizes the room has turned deathly silent. And not to mention all eyes are directed towards her and they move from her to the "vampire" ever so slowly.

Did she do something wrong?

"What?" She asks them, her voice uneasy.

A man, who more or less looked like he was about the age of seventeen so should she call him a boy, yes a boy with brown hair that was fashioned similar to Naruto's wearing a slick fitted black suit and a navy blue tie was the first to burst out into a fit of laughter.

"A vampire! That's a new one, oi someone add that one to the list!" He says excitedly, wiping his eyes from the tears of laughter.

"Konohamaru that still can't compete with the nickname he gave Naruto last year." Matsuri teases, a very devilish smirk on her lips as Naruto significantly pales.

"OH YEAH I FORGOT ABOUT THAT." Konohamaru shouts excitedly, and bursts into another round of very unprofessional and loud laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Guys…" Naruto says nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as a huge blush creeps on his cheeks.

"Oh come on Naruto it's hilarious." Ino chimes in, a devilish glint in her eyes.

"What did he call you?" Sakura asks, curiosity getting the best of her.

It couldn't be anything worse than "ugly."

If it's possible, the blonde turns an even deeper shade of red.

"Yeah, Naruto tell her." Gaara teases, joining in on the fun.

"I-It's really nothing." He assures her, nervous laughter echoing in the large conference room.

Sakura fakes a pretty convincing childish pout.

"Oh come on, everyone knows why won't you tell me?"

She can practically see the nervous sweat beading his forehead as he tugs on the collar of his shirt.

"Erm, it's…uh…" He squirms, his eyes searching everywhere besides her face.

But, she can't pry it out of him as someone claps their hands grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. Sakura looks to the front of the room and sees a man with snow-white hair standing at the head of the table.

The room falls silent.

He's wearing a form fitted black suit, much like everyone other male in the room, and his left eye is covered by a mask along with his face, only revealing his right eye. Perhaps it was some sort of a fashion statement?

The man clears his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry I was late, a black cat crossed my path and you see-"

"We get it." Everyone seems to chime in, rolling their eyes.

The snow haired man seems to smile as his one eye turns into a crescent shape.

"Good, then let's begin our meeting."

.

.

.

"Any questions?" Kakashi asks, looking over the group as everyone is quietly seated and contemplating the plan.

The plan.

Sakura was a little excited, well mostly scared, but a little excited to execute it. Though, she had little knowledge of what she was actually supposed to do. Kakashi had explained that there would be a gala this evening beginning at 8'o clock. Big business companies would attend, including Uzumaki Corps, and he needed representatives, which would include Naruto, Gaara, Sakura, Matsuri, and himself whereas everyone else would be working behind the scenes trying to find the Akatsuki's motives and members.

Intel concludes that the gala is a distraction set up by numerous companies working with Uchiha Corps in order to smuggle drugs into the country, and not just a handful but an actual ton of drugs…perhaps more. The mission was to smoothly proceed into the gala, blend in, and wait for those working behind the scenes to figure out the location where the deal was to take place. Meanwhile, the representatives inside would look out for any signs of Akatsuki members and try to gather Intel.

Once the location was found, the group would attack the base and arrest their targets, thus revealing the secret the Uchiha corps had kept for several years to the public.

Even with all of the information given and a well plan proposed, Sakura hesitantly raised her hand.

Spotting her hesitation, Kakashi looks over at her with a gentle expression, his one showing eye turning into a crescent shape showing that he was smiling softly.

"Yes, Sakura?"

Sakura swallows thickly, feeling all eyes of the room on her suddenly making her feel small and insecure.

"Where do I fit into all of this?" She asks, surprising herself that her voice didn't die on her mid sentence from the nervousness.

"From what I've heard you and Sasuke are quite the companions, no?" He raises a brow.

Sakura feels her heart do a flip inside of her chest. Just his name can cause heat to rise to her cheeks.

Curse her blasted feelings.

"Yes." She manages to squeak out, hoping that her boiling face wasn't noticeable to anyone.

"Because of your acquaintance with him you are going to be the one that will help us get the information out of him. We do believe that he is the one behind all of this." He explains.

Sakura nods, feeling the numbing sensation all over her body as if she's heard the news for the first time all over again. It still felt so unreal that he was some drug overlord; even after all she'd seen to prove that he was.

Kakashi continues answering questions, but Sakura ignores them.

She feels someone nudge her leg and looks to her left.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto whispers, his blue eyes knitted in concern as he studies her face.

Sakura forces a small smile.

"Just a little overwhelmed." She says vaguely, brushing him off and hoping he doesn't ask further.

He doesn't.

The meeting ends with Kakashi telling everyone to meet at the gala at 8'o clock sharp so that they can walk in together.

And with that everyone stands and begins walking out of the room. Sakura stands as well, but before she can turn around to walk towards the door Kakashi calls out her name.

"Sakura, mind if I speak to you quickly." He says, his voice gentle as Sakura nods feeling anxiety course through her.

She felt as if she were in high school being called out by a teacher.

"Sure, what is it that you want to speak about?" She asks, coming over and standing before him.

She wouldn't have expected it, but he doesn't give off a very intimidating vibe. She would expect that their leader, master whatever it was called, wouldn't have such a laid back character. She noticed this by his posture and by the tiredness in his eyes, that he really needed a good nap. He was leaning against the table, his back to the door, as he combed a hand through his hair and yawned.

Very laid back.

"I want to know how you're doing with all of this? It can be a lot for someone who's so new to the program." He asks with genuine concern as he studies her features.

"It's definitely not what I had in mind for my future, that's for sure." She says lightheartedly, earning a bit of a laugh from the white haired man.

"But, I don't know if I'm really cut out for any of this. I just don't belong." She says with uncertainty, her eyes wandering to stare down at her feet.

The rosette didn't belong here, and she knew it. She was a child's pediatrician; a family doctor, not some secret agent working undercover for a multimillionaire business corporation.

Kakashi nods slowly, trying to find the right words.

"Sakura, I can't promise you that this will be easy," He begins, his one visible eye turning serious along with his voice, "But even I can tell that in the short time you've known them you've managed to earn a great deal of trust from your comrades. Even I can tell that they care about you. If you're worried about belonging…well don't." He finishes, and even though she barely knew the man his words seem to cause her heart to swell.

Reassurance washes over her, all of her previous thoughts of regret vanishing. Perhaps this wasn't what she had expected concerning her career, but if she'd never met Naruto that one faithful day at the park, and if Sasuke never called her up to stay at her place…she would've never met the people she now holds closest to her. In the short time she knew them, the team that so welcomingly brought her in was starting to grow on her. They never excluded her and actually treated her like they valued her friendship. Sure, she felt that with TenTen (who she really needed to call she now remembers) but otherwise than that she had, for the majority of her life, never really had people other than family that she was close to.

It was…a new experience, and something that she was starting to like.

"Thank you, I won't disappoint the Alliance. I…I'll try my best." She says, new determination in her eyes.

She would not let them down.

Kakashi smiles, or at least she thinks as his one eye turns into a crescent shape.

"I'm sure you won't."


End file.
